The NFL draft is just one week away and the rumor mill is as chaotic as ever.
As the hours tick up to the moment Rodger Goodell walks to the podium in Detroit to announce that the Chicago Bears are on the clock, the chaos and speculation will only increase – and much of it with have to do with the Minnesota Vikings.
With two first-round picks – Nos. 11 and 23 – and an unclear future at quarterback, the Vikings remain one of the most talked about teams in the entire league. Let’s dive into the rumor mill…
Vikings trying to move into top five before the draft?
That’s the word from ESPN’s Kimberley Martin, who on First Take on Thursday said “[The Vikings have] been on the phone trying to actively move up.”
“In a perfect world they would start Thursday with that top-5 pick already in hand,” she said. “But it’s not guaranteed yet and their GM has to decide if they’re going to give up the kind of compensation that they need to get into the top five.”
Patriots “open for business”
Patriots de facto general manager Eliot Wolf spoke to New England media Thursday morning and said the team is “open for business” when it comes to trade talks.
“We’re open to anything. Moving up, moving down. We’re open for business in the first round and every round,” Wolf said.
That should certainly perk up the ears of staff at TCO Performance Center. The Patriots have a myriad of holes that need filling on their roster and Minnesota’s two first-round picks could definitely help jumpstart a rebuild in New England.
Patriots insider Tom Curran said Wednesday that the Vikings are “1 million percent” the most likely trade partner if New England does decide to move out of the No. 3 spot.
New England “seriously considering” a trade down?
Sticking with the Patriots, SI’s Albert Breer speculated Wednesday that New England bringing in Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. for a visit “might indicate” that they are “seriously considering a trade down.”
Penix is widely considered a late first or early second-round prospect, but with an early run on quarterbacks expected the Washington lefty could be taken earlier than most pundits are projecting. If New England and Minnesota do orchestrate a trade that sees the teams swap first-round picks, the Patriots at No. 23 could be well placed to take Penix.
Breer said he “certainly could see the Minnesota Vikings” coming up to No. 3 in order to get North Carolina QB Drake Maye.
Could the Raiders be out of the trade up sweepstakes?
Minnesota is not the only team that has been linked with a move up for one of the draft’s top quarterbacks. The New York Giants at No. 6, Denver Broncos at No. 12 and Las Vegas Raiders at No. 13 have also been heavily rumored to be interested in a draft night trade. But that could be changing.
When asked about what the Raiders could do at No. 13, Breer said they “like the idea of adding Daniels to their quarterback room” but it may not be realistic to move high enough up the board to get him.
Daniels has quickly shot up draft boards over the last year and is considered the favorite to be taken No. 2 by the Washington Commanders.
If the Raiders can’t get to No. 2 to get Daniels, Breer said he’s “not sure the Raiders would trade up for another QB.”
Speaking of Daniels, the Vikings are dining with the Heisman winner Thursday evening as they continue to gather intel on potential quarterbacks.
Will a trade up be possible?
While all the talk over the past month has been around the Vikings moving up, what if that’s not possible?
As draft day creeps closer more talk is starting to surface that the asking price from New England at No. 3, Arizona at No. 4 and the Chargers at No. 5 might be too high, and that the Vikings at No. 11 might be too far down to get one of the top offensive talents in the draft.
“Minnesota is a wild one because they got that 23rd overall pick also. The thought, the conventional thinking, was ‘Oh you package No. 11 and 23 and you move up to No. 4 or 5,'” NFL insider Peter Schrager told Dan Patrick Wednesday. “That all sounds great but if you’re Arizona or the Chargers and you’re looking to move back, going all the way back to No. 11 probably crosses you off on guys like [Marvin Harrison Jr., Rome Odunze and Malike Nabers].”
.@PSchrags shares the reaction that he got from multiple teams to having the #Giants trade up to 4th overall for JJ McCarthy in his #NFL mock draft pic.twitter.com/J3YolNY9cI
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) April 17, 2024
Breer told NFL Network’s Rich Eisen that Arizona is “driving a pretty hard bargain at No. 4,” which could test the limits Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is willing to go to to move up.
