The Minnesota Vikings were active during the 2024 NFL Draft. Their willingness to move around the draft board helped them to acquire Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy and Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner.
Minnesota has received some criticism for trading up one spot with the Jets to get their potential quarterback of the future. However, the Vikings weren't willing to gamble that the National Champion passer would still be available at No. 11.
It is a good thing the purple and gold didn't roll the dice on draft day because a recently released video revealed that there was another team attempting to move up in the draft to secure his services for 2024 and beyond.
Vikings outbid recent Super Bowl champion to land J.J. McCarthy in 2024 draft
The official X account of the NFL shared a video on Friday that gave an inside look at what was happening with the No. 10 overall pick held by the New York Jets to advertise a new special on the Roku Channel titled NFL Draft: The Pick Is In.
Get an inside look at a Draft day trade negotiation between the @RamsNFL, @nyjets and @Vikings. 👀
— NFL (@NFL) June 14, 2024
NFL Draft: The Pick Is In - streaming free on the @Roku Channel now. #NFLPickIsIn pic.twitter.com/bSbnEQCdg7
The surprising video showed the Los Angeles Rams offer the Jets the No. 19 overall pick and the No. 52 overall to move up to No. 10. It is no secret that the Minnesota Vikings were looking for one of the top quarterback prospects in this draft, making the trade up even more complicated.
A conversation between the Rams and Vikings confirmed that Minnesota was looking to take J.J. McCarthy at No. 11. Knowing L.A. wasn't going to be able to get a pick closer to No. 10 from Minnesota, the Rams deal was not accepted.
Instead, Minnesota landed the No. 10 overall pick by giving the Jets No. 11, 129, and 157 for No. 10 and 203. This allowed the Jets to land their potential target at No. 11 and not have to wait until No. 19 to pick.
New York took Penn State offensive lineman Olu Fashanu at No. 11, helping to improve their blocking situation while adding some draft capital in the process. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings were able to ensure they didn't miss out on one of the high-potential quarterbacks in the draft class.
Of course, the level of success the Vikings had during the 2024 NFL Draft will ultimately be measured in how the careers of J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner fare in a purple and gold jersey, but for now, the purple and gold are looking wise for trading up one spot.