Vikings Draft 2024: Post-Texans trade 7-round mock draft

The Minnesota Vikings shook the entire landscape of the 2024 NFL Draft when they stuck a deal with the Houston Texans to acquire the 23rd overall pick this past Friday.

There are some rumblings that the Vikings could keep both of their first-round picks and load up at some areas of need on their roster. But many believe Minnesota will package their new pick from the Texans, along with their own selection at pick No. 11, to get their quarterback of the future.

In that deal with Houston last week, the Vikings also gave up their 2024 second-round pick. So, barring a trade-up, Minnesota will have no selections on Day 2 of this year's NFL Draft.

The Vikings could potentially have one of the first five picks in April and then not make another selection again until the 108th pick, which would be near the start of the fourth round.

Most fans would be fine with that move, as long as Minnesota moves up in the first round to land a quarterback the team can build around for the next 10 years.

After losing Kirk Cousins in free agency to the Atlanta Falcons last week, many expect the Vikings to select a quarterback in the 2024 draft. Minnesota did recently sign free-agent signal-caller Sam Darnold, but he's been a bust his entire career, and he is expected to serve as a bridge option until the young quarterback is ready to roll.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah need to find their guy, and now they have a great chance to do just that after acquiring additional firepower for a potential trade up the draft board.

How far in the draft is Minnesota willing or able to move up in this year's draft and who do they want to select if they end up agreeing to a trade to move up further in the first round?

We won't know for certain until Day 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft on April 25th, but for now, all we can do is speculate with mock drafts.

So here's a brand new post-first wave of free agency and post-trade with the Texans, seven-round Vikings mock draft.

Minnesota Vikings Draft 2024: Post-Texans trade 7-round mock draft

First-Round Pick (3rd Overall)

Drake Maye - QB (UNC)

The big question is, who do the Vikings love enough to give up a ton of picks in order to add them to their team?

Many seem to think it's former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

He's a popular choice as he has the size and athletic ability and has played in a pro system at Michigan under the school's former head coach, Jim Harbaugh.

He's an option, but the player who has generated the most steam since the trade was announced has been former North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.

Maye has everything necessary to succeed at the next level. He's 6-foot-4, 229 pounds, and a plus athlete with a strong arm.

He was extremely productive in his two seasons as the Tar Heels' starter, throwing for 8,018 yards and an impressive 63 touchdowns to just 16 interceptions. He also added 1,209 yards on the ground and rushed for an eye-popping 16 touchdowns in his collegiate career.

Maye has been compared to current Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen often, and it makes sense for both the good and the bad reasons.

Maye is big, can take off and pick up first downs with his legs, and also isn't afraid to do some risky things. We've seen him scamper and then try to throw the ball just before his knee hits the ground. We've also seen him switch the ball to his left hand and throw with that because he has a defender hanging off his right arm.

Maye loves playing hero ball, and that style could win some games in the NFL, but it can also lead to losses that probably should've been wins.

It's still unclear if Maye will still even be on the board when it's time for the third overall pick to be made in this year's NFL Draft.

Former USC quarterback Caleb Williams is the consensus to go first overall, and former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is looking like the most probable option to go at pick No. 2. However, there are still a lot of draft analysts who think Maye could be the second quarterback taken this year.

If the Vikings are high on Maye, they'll need to offer a deal that is enticing enough for the New England Patriots to pass up a franchise-caliber quarterback with the third overall selection.

That will likely require Minnesota to trade picks No. 11 and No. 23 to the Patriots. But how much more will the Vikings have to offer to get New England to hand over the third overall selection?