Vikings trading for No. 2 pick in 2024 NFL Draft would not be shocking

If Kirk Cousins actually ends up leaving this offseason, don't be surprised if the Minnesota Vikings decide to make a huge trade in the 2024 NFL Draft.

As each day passes by, the amount of steam continues to increase when it comes to Kirk Cousins leaving the Minnesota Vikings after six seasons to sign with the Atlanta Falcons this year.

Cousins has been Minnesota's starting quarterback since he joined them during the 2018 offseason, which also happens to be the last time he was a free agent.

The Falcons are now the favorite to become the new home of the veteran quarterback, and if this ends up happening, then it might be time for the Vikings to make a monumental decision.

Multiple dots connect the Minnesota Vikings to making a possible trade with the Washington Commanders

Currently, the Washington Commanders are in possession of the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Most have assumed the Commanders are going to hold onto that No. 2 selection and use it on one of the top quarterback prospects in this year's draft, but some have recently speculated that they might be willing to trade the pick.

If Washington ends up being open to trading the No. 2 pick, there are a few reasons why Minnesota could turn out to be the team that makes a deal for the coveted draft selection.

First, Cousins leaving means that the Vikings will essentially be looking to start over at the quarterback position.

Minnesota could sit around and wait to see which passing prospects are still available when they are on the clock first this year with the 11th overall pick, or they could make a super aggressive move and trade up with the Commanders to guarantee they land one of the top 2024 quarterback prospects.

Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is not someone who has shied away from being aggressive during his tenure with the team, especially when it has come to making trades.

With Adofo-Mensah calling the shots, Minnesota has made trade deadline deals in each of the last two seasons (T.J. Hockenson and Josh Dobbs), and the team has made a combined total of nine trades during the 2022 and 2023 NFL Drafts.

So, the Vikings making a deal to acquire the No. 2 pick from Washington this year would just continue the trend of Minnesota being active in the trade market under Adofo-Mensah.

If Adofo-Mensah were to pick up the phone and call Commanders about a possible trade, he'd likely end up talking with an old friend on the other line.

Back in January, Washington hired Adam Peters to be the team's new general manager. Before the Commanders hired him this year, Peters held multiple roles as a member of the San Francisco 49ers front office from 2017 to 2023.

From 2017 to 2019, Adofo-Mensah was also a member of the 49ers front office as the team's director of football research and development. So Minnesota and Washington's current general managers are already very familiar with one another.

Lastly, if the Vikings are going to trade up for the No. 2 pick, the purpose of it will likely be to have the chance to select either Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Jayden Daniels, who are regarded by many as the top three quarterback prospects available in this year's draft.

Minnesota has been linked to Daniels in the recent past, but the team's recent decision to hire Josh McCown as their new quarterbacks coach makes Maye seem like the perfect fit for the Vikings.

Before he began his coaching career in the NFL, McCown was part of the Myers Park High School football team's coaching staff in 2019.

Maye was the school's starting quarterback that year, so McCown already has a solid relationship built with the intriguing passing prospect, which is something that could make his transition to the NFL easier.

Has there been any legitimate buzz or reports about the Vikings potentially making a trade with the Commanders for the No. 2 pick in this year's NFL Draft? No, there hasn't.

But for those who have paid any attention to the league over the years, it's always safe to expect the unexpected, especially when it comes to the draft.