To what height are they capable of reaching?
Presumably, the Vikings will speak with every team selected in the top five, starting with the Bears at number one and ending with the Chargers at number five.
Even if the Bears haven’t traded their current starter, unlike the other two teams predicted to select a quarterback in the top three, a deal with Chicago still appears extremely unlikely. While Justin Fields remains on Chicago’s roster, the Commanders moved Sam Howell and the Patriots moved Mac Jones. Regardless of the cost, the Bears most likely don’t want to give Caleb Williams to a division opponent.
Washington, having traded Howell to Seattle, is forced to select a quarterback at number two. The key question is who that is—Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels. The Vikings could give the Commanders 11, 23, and the first pick of the next year, giving them two firsts in each of the next two rounds. Perhaps Washington would accept that there isn’t a significant decline in quality with Daniels, Maye, and J.J. McCarthy before attempting to climb back up? But it seems like the Commanders will want to hang around and get their guy, just like in Chicago.
With three points, the Patriots seem like the most interesting possible trading partner. They also desperately need a quarterback, but as the post-Belichick era gets underway, they might be persuaded to focus on building their roster instead of addressing the position just yet. The Patriots recently signed Jacoby Brissett to join Bailey Zappe, while Washington’s current quarterbacks are Marcus Mariota and Jake Fromm.
The Vikings might present New England with the same package—11, 23, and their first in 2025. That might be sufficient to close a deal for the third overall pick. If the Vikings decide that trading two additional firsts to move up eight spots isn’t worth it, they may even try to recoup a Day 2 pick in that transaction.
The Vikings would need to feel confident in obtaining both Daniels and Maye if they were to trade up to 3 ahead of the draft. If they have a preference for one of those players—and there’s rumors that they love Maye—would they hold off until draft night to watch what Washington does at two?
worth taking if Maye or Daniels are the Vikings’ only target.
To guarantee that they land McCarthy, the Vikings should be able to advance to the fourth (Cardinals) or fifth (Chargers) spot if they are unable to finish in the top three. Although McCarthy may not have the ceiling of the top three players, the NFL is apparently quite impressed with him because he seems like a perfect match for Kevin O’Connell’s offense. With 11 and 23, the Vikings should be able to jump the Giants at 6 and enter the top five without having to trade their first-round pick for next year.
