The new league year is about to begin and the Minnesota Vikings are preparing for a busy free agency period. What might their draft look like heading into free agency?
The rumors are starting to swirl that the Minnesota Vikings are going to be aggressive in searching for a young quarterback in the draft. With a bunch of talented quarterbacks at the top of the draft, the Vikings will certainly have an opportunity to start fresh.
It is increasingly likely that four quarterbacks will be selected in the first 10 selections, which means the Vikings would have to trade up in order to grab a player they want to replace Kirk Cousins. The Atlanta Falcons (eighth overall), Denver Broncos (12th overall), and Las Vegas Raiders (13th overall) could also be in the mix to trade up for a quarterback.
Things will get tricky for the Vikings as they are already short a third-round selection thanks to the deal that brought T.J. Hockenson to Minnesota. If they do decide to trade up, there is a chance they might not pick again until the fourth round of this draft.
Ultimately, the Vikings will probably make the move up in the draft but will not have to sacrifice their entire future in doing so. Rather than giving up an arm and a leg to move into the top three, they should be able to move into the fifth overall pick and keep some other assets in the process.
As they head into free agency, here is how Minnesota might attack the 2024 NFL Draft.
First-Round Pick (5th overall)
J.J. McCarthy - QB (Michigan)
It is starting to appear that J.J. McCarthy's floor is the Vikings at the 11th overall pick. With several bidders in play, Minnesota will have to move up in the draft to secure their next signal caller.
Whether or not McCarthy would be the starting quarterback in 2024 would be a question that is answered later on as he does have some developing to do, but he does have plenty of upside and a strong arm that can at least provide some excitement.
In this scenario, the Vikings sent picks 11 and 42, along with a second-round selection in 2025, to the Chargers for picks 5 and 69. The Chargers can still land one of the top cornerbacks or pass catchers in the class while adding extra value for the future.
If this is the route the Vikings take, I would expect them to at least bring in a veteran quarterback who can mentor McCarthy and compete for the starting job for the 2024 season. Regardless, there is steam that Minnesota's front office is infatuated with McCarthy, and there is a lot to like.
He has a cannon for an arm and can do enough with his legs to keep plays alive. As he develops as an NFL passer, having that ability to extend plays and create for himself will help take some of the pressure off his shoulders. He would also be joining an elite group of playmakers that can only help his game.
I would strongly prefer one of the top three quarterbacks in this class, but with a trade into that range seeming much more difficult lately, McCarthy is trending toward being the guy. Could they build something special around the quarterback with the smallest workload of the bunch?
Third-Round Pick (69th overall)
Maason Smith - IDL (LSU)
After a long hiatus between selections, the Vikings come back and take a promising young defensive lineman to boost the trenches.
Maason Smith looked like a superstar early in his career at LSU but missed pretty much the entire 2022 season with an injury. After a strong 2023, Smith still shows promise but has slipped out of the initial first-round conversation.
Minnesota needs help along the defensive line and could really use depth with edge rushers, but with how this board fell, Smith was the best player for their needs. They need someone who can limit the run and provide some pressure up the gut while they sort out the future of their pass rush.
The dream in this draft would be to land one of the premier defensive tackles, but without their second-round pick, that dream seems far-fetched. Instead, the Vikings can take a swing on Maason Smith as one of the more enticing players of the group.
As a freshman in 2021, Smith recorded 4.0 sacks and 5.0 tackles for loss in seven games for the Tigers. After missing his sophomore season, Smith returned in 2023 and tallied 2.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss before declaring for the NFL Draft.
This would make back-to-back selections in which the Vikings swing for upside in a draft where they really need to hit their picks.
Third-Round Pick (87th overall)
Cam Hart - CB (Notre Dame)
Rather than sitting back and waiting for players to fall, the Vikings had to get aggressive once again and used their abundance of Day 3 picks to move up. In this trade, Minnesota sends picks 109, 130, and 166 to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for pick 87.
The Vikings still need some answers in the secondary after a troublesome end to the 2023 season. This cornerback class is relatively strong, but the talent certainly dips after the surge of cornerbacks in the first round.
On Day 2, Cam Hart seems like the type of player that will catch the eye of Minnesota's front office.
Hart was one of the biggest risers from this year's NFL Scouting Combine where he shined. He measured in at 6-foot-3 and 202 pounds but managed to show off his fluidity and athleticism in drills. That sort of size and agility will make NFL teams crave his presence on the perimeter.
He is also a strong tackler who can contribute near the line of scrimmage if the ball is in his vicinity. Last season, Hart led Notre Dame with three forced fumbles and finished the season with three tackles for loss as well.
The Vikings seem to enjoy the profile of long cornerbacks who can play above the rim, which they have tried with Akayleb Evans. Hart could be the next player to fit that mold in Brian Flores' secondary.
Fifth-Round Pick (156th overall)
Javon Baker - WR (UCF)
I have grown to love the idea of drafting Javon Baker to be an explosive threat in the vertical passing game. Baker was a home run hitter at UCF after transferring from Alabama, and his ability to swing momentum is going to get him drafted with a chance to crack a roster.
The Vikings have plenty of weapons to share the ball with, but K.J. Osborn is set to be a free agent and if he leaves, the Vikings will need a tertiary target on the outside. Defenses would be tested every single play with Baker lining up alongside Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, as any of those guys could burn them for a long play.
For as much as the Vikings need interior offensive line help and depth in the backfield, the value with Baker at this spot was simply too good to pass up. He can be such a difference-maker in an offense that already has the firepower to score at will.
He averaged 21.9 yards per catch last season with UCF and scored seven touchdowns as he really broke onto the scene prior to his departure for the NFL. The 6-foot-2 wide receiver racked up over 1,100 yards and had some monster performances in big games.
Baker went for 134 yards and two touchdowns on the road against Oklahoma as the Knights nearly pulled off the upset. He also caught four passes for 112 yards as UCF blew out a then-ranked Oklahoma State 45-3. His final game of the season was arguably his most impressive, as Baker caught nine balls for 173 yards and a score against Georgia Tech.
The Vikings would be smart to replace Osborn with a player who can shift a game in the blink of an eye while also staying on that rookie salary scale.
Sixth-Round Pick (179th overall)
Trevin Wallace - LB (Kentucky)
When it comes to linebacker, the positional value has diminished quite a bit over the past few years. Minnesota found that out last season as Ivan Pace became a staple of the defense as an undrafted rookie, and he will be the leader of the defense moving forward.
With Jordan Hicks set to be a free agent and leaving a massive hole next to Pace, the Vikings will likely bring in some depth to compete for the starting job with Brian Asamoah. Kentucky's Trevin Wallace has had a really strong pre-draft cycle after wrapping up his collegiate career.
Wallace was a star at the Senior Bowl and showed improvement as a coverage linebacker despite being primarily a downhill run-stopper for the Wildcats. He also tested well at the NFL Combine and has seemingly secured himself a draft spot and a chance to make a roster.
Even if he does not crack the field much early on, he has the skill set to be a very reliable special teams player. Najee Thompson was such a valuable player for the Vikings last season because of his relentlessness on special teams, so why not continue to build that area of the roster?
Trevin Wallace may not be a three-down linebacker but expecting to find one at this stage of the draft is just unrealistic. Instead, teams will target players that can make any sort of impact. With the lack of depth in the middle of their defense, the Vikings need to take these kinds of players late in the draft.
Sixth-Round Pick (190th overall)
Erick All - TE (Iowa)
The Vikings have reportedly done quite a bit of work on Erick All as they look to fill out their tight end room for the upcoming season. T.J. Hockenson is recovering from an injury, and it is unclear when he will return to action.
Erick All spent four seasons at Michigan prior to transferring to Iowa for his final season. At Michigan, All had one breakout season in 2021 when he caught 38 passes for 437 yards and two touchdowns. He only caught 37 passes for 427 yards in his other four seasons combined and was primarily used as a blocker.
Minnesota understands the importance of blocking from the tight end position and made that a priority when they signed Josh Oliver last offseason. They also have Johnny Mundt on the roster for his blocking ability as the third tight end.
If the Vikings really like Erick All, they could very well take him with one of their later draft selections and let him compete with Mundt and Nick Muse for a spot on the final roster or perhaps even as a member of the practice squad.
Minnesota wraps up their draft with a player that has a pretty clear path to playing time at the next level. If All can be a consistent run blocker and an underneath option in the passing game, he is going to have a chance to play meaningful snaps.