Day 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft is here and Minnesota Vikings fans will finally get to find out if their favorite team is willing to do everything they can to land one of this year's top quarterback prospects.
In this final 2024 mock draft for the Vikings, they do just that. However, Minnesota ends up with a quarterback prospect who hasn't been linked to them as frequently as some of the other young signal-callers from this year's draft pool.
To set the stage, predictions for the first four selections in the 2024 draft are listed below, as the Vikings will trade up from the 11th spot to acquire the No. 5 pick from the Los Angeles Chargers.
1. Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams - QB (USC)
2. Washington Commanders: Drake Maye - QB (North Carolina)
3. New England Patriots: J.J. McCarthy - QB (Michigan)
4. Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr. - WR (Ohio State)
Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft: Final 7-round predictions for 2024
First-Round Pick (5th Overall)
Jayden Daniels - QB (LSU)
(TRADE: Vikings acquire No. 5 pick from the Chargers in exchange for picks No. 11 and No. 23)
After Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy come off the board during the first three selections, Minnesota races to the phone to acquire the No. 5 selection from the Chargers and use the pick on former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels.
An impressive dual-threat signal-caller, Daniels can potentially be a Day 1 starter for the Vikings and immediately help transform the team's offense into one of the most dangerous units in the entire NFL.
Third-Round Pick (66th Overall)
Marshawn Kneeland - EDGE (Western Michigan)
(TRADE: Vikings acquire pick No. 66 from the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for picks No. 108 and No. 157, a 2025 third-rounder, and a 2025 fifth-rounder)
With Minnesota expected to land at least one third-round compensatory pick in 2025 after the departures of Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter earlier this year, they decide to use some of their current assets to move into the third round and select an intriguing pass rusher in Marshawn Kneeland.
Kneeland dominated his opponents at Western Michigan last season (17.3 percent pass-rush win rate) and the Vikings will be hoping he can help make up for the loss of Hunter.
Fourth-Round Pick (129th Overall)
Maason Smith - DL (LSU)
Minnesota is in need of some guys who can just take up space in the front of their defense, and at 6-foot-6 and 315 pounds, Maason Smith can do just that. Smith likely wouldn't make an immediate impact for the Vikings, but he can at least help improve the overall depth of the team's defensive line.
Fifth-Round Pick (143rd Overall)
Gabriel Murphy - EDGE (UCLA)
(TRADE: Vikings acquire pick No. 143 from the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for picks No. 167, No. 230, and No. 232)
Two pass rushers in the same draft for Minnesota after they also signed Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel in free agency earlier this year?
Yes, as optimistic as the Vikings are about the additions of Greenard and Van Ginkel, it's also smart for them to invest in some younger pass rushers that they can develop behind the veterans ahead of them on the depth chart.
Sixth-Round Pick (177th Overall)
Dillon Johnson - RB (Washington)
For the fourth year in a row, Minnesota uses a Day 3 pick on a running back. This time, the Vikings will be hoping Dillon Johnson can make a bigger impact than DeWayne McBride, who didn't suit up for a single game last season after the team selected him in the seventh round of the 2023 draft.