Jayden Daniels to Vikings dream might have come to an end

During the last few weeks, the conversations about which quarterback prospect the Minnesota Vikings could select in this year's NFL Draft have mostly centered around Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and J.J. McCarthy.

While the odds of the Vikings actually landing Daniels at the end of April have always been low, some fans have still been holding out hope that the team could find a way to wind up with the former LSU quarterback.

Well, any dreams of Minnesota drafting Daniels might have been crushed on Thursday following a report about the team failing to meet with the young signal-caller.

Minnesota Vikings reportedly did not meet with Jayden Daniels at Pro Day on Wednesday

Immediately following Daniels' Pro Day at LSU on Wednesday, the Vikings were reportedly one of a handful of NFL teams scheduled to meet with the top quarterback prospect, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport.

Well, according to KSTP's Darren Wolfson on Thursday, it turns out that Minnesota actually did not end up meeting with Daniels after his Pro Day on Wednesday.

It's possible that the Vikings could still be getting together with the young signal-caller in the near future, but when it comes to Wednesday, there was reportedly no meeting between the team and Daniels.

So what might this mean for the chances of the former LSU signal-caller ending up with Minnesota in April at this year's NFL Draft?

It could mean absolutely nothing, but the fact that the Vikings didn't meet with Daniels on Wednesday might be an indication of them knowing there's almost no chance of him still being on the board when it comes time for them to make their first selection in the 2024 draft.

Many have pointed to the Washington Commanders as the team with the best odds to land Daniels in this year's NFL Draft. The Commanders currently have the second overall selection, and most believe that pick will be used on the former LSU passer.

If Daniels comes off the board with the No. 2 pick and Caleb Williams is selected by the Chicago Bears with the No. 1 pick, that would leave Maye and McCarthy as the top remaining quarterback prospects for Minnesota to potentially select.

This all, of course, depends on whether or not the Vikings are able to figure out a way to trade up in the first round. Acquiring the No. 3 pick from the New England Patriots seems like the most ideal scenario for Minnesota, as it would allow them to choose between Maye and McCarthy.

Would the cost of what it would take to move up to pick No. 3 be worth it for the Vikings, though? Or would Minnesota be better off giving up less to acquire the No. 5 pick from the Los Angeles Chargers and hope that Maye or McCarthy is still on the board after the first four selections have been made?

These are all questions the Vikings need to answer, and with this year's NFL Draft now less than a month away from kicking off, the clock is ticking on the team's opportunity to figure out which path they would like to take.

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