The Vikings continue to be one of the most talked about teams in the NFL as next week’s draft inches closer.
Within the past 24 hours a pair of ESPN insiders have speculated that two different quarterback prospects are at the top of the Vikings’ draft board. On Monday’s edition of NFL Live, Adam Schefter indicated that North Carolina’s Drake Maye was who the Vikings want most.
“If Minnesota were to find a way to get up to No. 3, my sense is… that Drake Maye would be the preference,” said Schefter in a segment discussing what the Patriots could do at No. 3 overall.
Schefter on QB3 "I think Drake Maye is the leader in the clubhouse, but it all depends on the team. If Minnesota were to find a way to go up to 3, my sense is Drake Maye is the preference." pic.twitter.com/ngdRcpM1Bl
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) April 16, 2024
Minnesota has consistently been thought of as a frontrunner to move up in the draft. After losing Kirk Cousins in free agency the Vikings quickly shifted plans and signed journeyman QB Sam Darnold while also acquiring a second first-round pick.
Maye and the Vikings have been a popular pairing among draft analysts due to Minnesota’s new QB coach Josh McCown coaching Maye in high school.
Meanwhile, Schefter’s colleague Jeremy Fowler, who used to cover the Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, looked at his quarterback prospect tiers and had an interesting note when discussing Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy.
“Multiple teams believe Minnesota or Denver could be trade-up options for McCarthy, who’s considered a good fit in both places,” Fowler wrote.
While his lack of volume in college have many projecting McCarthy as a late first-round prospect, the Michigan QB has vaulted up draft boards over the past couple months and is now seen as a potential top-five pick.
“Evaluators are truly all over the map. Some see elite talent, maybe the best long-term play of the group, while others see fringe first-round or even second-round talent. He’s very close to Tier 2,” Fowler continued.
Minnesota has held private workouts with many of the quarterback prospects, including McCarthy and Maye, as they seemingly prepare to take their QB of the future.
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said that he is not scared of the risk vs. reward of taking first-round quarterback and the potential cost to move up from No. 11.
“Just because something’s risky doesn’t mean you have to stay away from it. It is something that is hard to grasp, but if you grasp it you know what the rewards are. That’s something you have to weigh and measure,” said Adofo-Mensah.
