The Vikings enter the 2024 offseason in a difficult spot at the quarterback position. Free agent Kirk Cousins will be entering his age 36 season and coming off a torn Achilles tendon. If Kwesi Adofo-Mensah decides to move on from Cousins, the general manager is armed with the 11th overall selection, putting him in prime position to target a rookie QB and trigger a rebuild.
Here are five options the Vikings could be pondering as the April 25-27 draft approaches:
1. Trade up to the No. 7 pick and draft LSU's Jayden Daniels
Given how many QB-needy teams there are, it might be far too difficult to trade into the top three for USC's Caleb Williams or North Carolina's Drake Maye. Daniels is a fast-rising prospect, but the Vikings might be able to snag him without giving up too much to jump in front of a team such as the Falcons at No. 8. Daniels, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner, is dynamic with both his arm and his legs, combining for 50 scores to only five turnovers, and got better as the season went on. The Vikings reportedly thought about trading up for Florida's Anthony Richardson last year; perhaps coach Kevin O'Connell wants to go for a different SEC QB with a similar playing style.
The trade below was modeled after a similar move last year, when the Cardinals moved up from No. 12 to No. 6, giving up a second- and fifth-rounder but getting a third back.
Trade package: Vikings receive picks Nos. 7 and 102; Titans receive 11, 42 and 153.
2. Stay put at No. 11, or trade back and draft Washington's Michael Penix Jr.
Penix's value soared as the season went on, then tanked after a poor showing in the national championship, but his strength and intelligence could convince teams to look past that one game and focus on the rest of his stellar two seasons in Seattle. The lefty has a cannon for an arm, throws a gorgeous deep ball and is excellent at reading the defense and quickly going through his progressions. These traits make him a great fit in the modern NFL.
Penix's arm strength and ball placement are exceptional, but he turns 24 in May and had four season-ending injuries during his time at Indiana. The Vikings might be able to get him five to 10 picks later, but how he fares in predraft evaluations will determine whether he climbs into the top half of the first round or not.
Trade package: Vikings receive picks 18, 80 and 111; Bengals receive 11th pick.
3. Trade back and draft Michigan's J.J. McCarthy
It's hard to find a quarterback whose stock has risen higher from handing off the ball than McCarthy. The junior passer led a Michigan team that ran the ball more than every Power Five team but West Virginia to a national championship, and because of the Wolverines' tendency to run the ball almost 40 times per game, McCarthy hasn't truly gotten the chance to showcase what he can do in an NFL-style offense. However, he has shown flashes, and his athleticism allows him to succeed on off-balance and off-center throws.
It's hard to know where McCarthy's potential lies without a high quantity of passes, but he has the capability to fit in an O'Connell-led offense and could reset the timeline as a developmental prospect while the front office rebuilds the rest of the team.
Trade package: Vikings receive picks 25, 57, 170 and a 2025 second-rounder; Eagles receive 11th pick.
4. Stay at pick No. 42 and draft Oregon's Bo Nix
Nix, like Penix, turns 24 before April's draft, and might be limited in terms of his ceiling. Still, Nix showed this season at Oregon that he was effective in quick-game passing situations in which he didn't have to go through many progressions and was on the money with his short and intermediate throws. These easy passes tended to inflate his nation-leading 77.4% completion percentage, but it shouldn't be overlooked how many plays he made this year with the combination of his accuracy and athleticism.
The former Auburn and Oregon quarterback could be a low-risk/medium-reward selection for the Vikings. Minnesota could move on after a year or two if his game doesn't translate to the league while building the rest of the team up around him, all without being tied up too much financially, like a Drew Lock in Denver-esque situation. If his game does translate, the Vikings would reap the benefits of having an experienced passer with pinpoint accuracy. If they do select Nix at 42, he likely wouldn't be an immediate starter, though, and the Vikings would probably sign a smaller-contract free agent to begin the year under center.
5. Sign a bridge free agent, draft a quarterback late and/or prepare for 2025 draft
If the Vikings don't see any of the 2024 options as their quarterback of the future, they could look ahead to 2025 and sign a veteran free agent to help them through the season at a low cost. Players such as Sam Darnold, Jameis Winston and Jake Browning are expected to be available, and could set up the Vikings for a 2025 quarterback with a higher draft pick, such as Texas' Quinn Ewers, Georgia's Carson Beck or Colorado's Shedeur Sanders.
As they did with Jaren Hall, the Vikings could also take a flyer on a 2024 late-round quarterback such as Florida State's Jordan Travis (who was stellar before injuring his lower leg in November) or Tulane's Michael Pratt. Of course, none of these options rule out Cousins' return, but considering the state of Minnesota's roster and Cousins' desire to win, it might be in the best interest of both parties to move on.
