Getty General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (left) and head coach Kevin O'Connell (right) of the Minnesota Vikings.
The course of the Minnesota Vikings franchise over the next decade may well be determined by which QB they land in the coming NFL draft, or if they fail to land one at all.
As such, the process behind evaluating the potential options and what it will take in terms of cost to procure them is paramount not just to the team’s future as a contender, but to the job security of its leaders — general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell. The context around the monumental decision the Vikings face makes their decision to approach quarterback scouting in a unique and novel fashion this offseason all the more interesting.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated on Monday, April 8, laid out how Minnesota is doing things differently this offseason and why their new process is admirable and could forge a new path for pre-draft QB evaluation in the NFL.
You might have noticed, over the past couple of weeks, that Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah were absent from the big quarterback pro days, which seemed to fly in the face of the aggressive approach they took to position themselves for a trade up after the move with the [Houston] Texans in mid-March.
The reality? The Vikings were just allocating resources in a different way.
Rather than go to the cattle calls that pro days often become, Minnesota dispatched quarterbacks coaches Josh McCown and Grant Udinski to those, and then rolled out a larger group for a three-day whirlwind tour to work out quarterbacks privately. The itinerary included stops in Chapel Hill to meet Drake Maye, Ann Arbor to get with J.J. McCarthy, Seattle to put [Michael] Penix through the paces and Eugene to see Bo Nix.
Vikings’ Process Allows for More Specific Evaluation of QB Prospects
GettyHead coach Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings.
The result for the Vikings brass was a more in-depth and specific look at each player and his fit with what the team hopes to do with a passing attack that includes major talents in wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, as well as tight end T.J. Hockenson.
In each case, the Minnesota contingent … had extensive meeting time with the quarterbacks before taking them out on the field. The field work included the coaches and players applying what had been taught in the classroom, and then the ability to put what they could explain between the lines.
In the end, you figure it gave the Vikings a really good picture of what each guy might look like in Minnesota’s offense, and the team’s culture, with the officials on the ground knowing that they still had the ability to bring the players to Minneapolis for “30” visits in their back pockets if they needed to know more (those haven’t been scheduled yet, but could be).
Vikings Have Positioned Themselves to Take Several Routes to QB in NFL Draft
GettyFormer Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
The Vikings already held the No. 11 pick before acquiring the 23rd selection from the Texans, which means Minnesota can offer potential trade partners two first-rounders this year as well as future draft capital (perhaps a 2025 first) to move into the top five for a franchise quarterback. Both the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 5 and the New England Patriots at No. 3 could be willing to move down for the right price, and three first-round selections is tough to beat.
If the Vikings choose to give up that much capital, it will likely be with a specific player in mind, and McCarthy is among the most likely of prospects in that regard. Maye is also a potential target of a trade up, however, given his previous connection with McCown — the latter was on the former’s coaching staff during Maye’s high school days.
Nix is a player Minnesota might be able to land at No. 11 without trading up, while Penix could be in play for the Vikings with the 23rd pick if the Vikings decide to capitalize on a depth of talent that should be available at several positions with the 11th selection in the first round.