6 bold predictions for the Vikings in the 2023 NFL Draft

Prediction No. 6

Minnesota will trade back into the first round to take Hendon Hooker

Whether the Vikings move around the board or not, all eyes will be focused on what they'll do at the quarterback position. With Kirk Cousins entering the final year of his contract, the Vikings have done their homework on the quarterback class, and KSTP's Darren Wolfson suggested that a developmental quarterback could be coming to Minnesota in this year's draft.

The Vikings could make a deal to move into the top half of the draft to take Florida's Anthony Richardson or Kentucky's Will Levis, but their lack of draft capital could prevent that from happening. They could also select a quarterback later in the draft, such as UCLA's Dorian Thompson-Robinson or Stanford's Tanner McKee, but the historical hit rate of quarterbacks drafted after the first round suggests they wouldn't be serious about finding a long-term solution.

Instead, the Vikings could get the best of both worlds by drafting Hooker. Taking Hooker at No. 23 might be considered a reach, but if Minnesota can trade back, acquire more picks and trade back into the first round to take Hooker at the back end of the first round, they can get the quarterback they reportedly want while acquiring more draft capital.

There are major questions about a 25-year-old quarterback who is a project coming into the NFL, but if the Vikings are sold on Hooker, this is the best way to go about it.