Getty General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Chicago Bears could not only land their future franchise quarterback but also block the Minnesota Vikings from drafting their own.
Holders on the No. 1 and No. 9 picks in this year’s draft, the Bears could benefit from trading back from the ninth spot with only two other picks, a third- and fourth-rounder.
Considering the possibility that the Vikings cannot trade into the top five to land a top-four quarterback, their plans of sitting pat and selecting a quarterback at No. 11 could be foiled by Chicago.
Bleacher Report’s Jake Tansey proposed a trade that would help the Denver Broncos (No. 12) or Las Vegas Raider (No. 13) land a quarterback at No. 9, effectively leapfrogging the Vikings.
“The rush to land the fourth-best quarterback in the draft could still be on at No. 9 if the Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders fail to move up. Chicago will not do any business with the Vikings, especially if it helps them land their replacement for Kirk Cousins,” Tansey wrote. “That leaves Denver and Las Vegas as the primary options to trade with if the fourth quarterback, likely J.J. McCarthy, is still on the board at No. 9.”
Chicago could move back just a few spots by swapping first-round picks and acquire additional draft capital — an early third-round pick from the Broncos or a second-rounder from the Raiders.
The Vikings could just take the next quarterback at No. 11 if the Bears help another team land their rookie quarterback, but that could be a reach for prospects like Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix.
Several blue-chip defensive players would be strong selections for the Vikings with the No. 11 pick, but that also forfeits their future at quarterback to the rest of the draft.
Vikings Have Best Trade Package to Land Top-4 QB
Getty2024 NFL draft quarterback prospects (from left) Caleb Williams, J.J. McCarthy, Jayden Daniels, and Michael Penix Jr.
Yes, the Bears could lock the Vikings out from the ninth spot, but if it gets that far the Vikings could have already forgone the idea of drafting a quarterback early in the first round.
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah touted the flexibility the No. 23 pick, acquired in a trade with the Houston Texans, gives his front office.
However, the Vikings are now the holders of two first-round picks in this year’s draft. The only other team besides the NFC North counterparts to have multiple first-rounders is the Arizona Cardinals (No. 4 and No. 27).
The Cardinals are not in the market for a quarterback and a candidate to trade back.
A first-round pick in this year’s draft holds significantly higher value than a future first-rounder. The NFL is an impatient league and teams would love to inject first-round talent to their rosters now — not next year.
Star Tribune beat reporter Ben Goessling reported that the Vikings explored a trade-up for a quarterback last year but did not have the draft capital. The Vikings’ trade with the Texans gives them just that as they’re now the belle of the ball for any team looking to trade out of the top five.
Vikings Prepared to Ride Sam Darnold for the 2024 Season
GettySam Darnold #14 of the San Francisco 49ers.
While the Vikings have shown every intention to draft a quarterback, they’re not willing to get hoodwinked into a bad deal — and that means entertaining all possibilities, including riding with Sam Darnold.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reported on April 2 that while the Vikings have made “deep plans to evaluate the top prospects” in this year’s quarterback class, they are prepared to stick with Darnold and draft a quarterback later or even wait until the 2025 draft.
“On the one hand, they’ve made deep plans to evaluate the top prospects via private workouts and/or visits, and they formed the outlines of a structure focused on developing a rookie quarterback,” Seifert wrote. “On the other, they’re preparing for the possibility of riding with offseason free agent addition Sam Darnold in 2024 and then regrouping with either a quarterback drafted with a lower pick or perhaps a look ahead to the 2025 class.”