Getty Could the Minnesota Vikings be preparing to jump the New York Giants in the NFL draft?
There was a peculiar trade between the Minnesota Vikings and Houston Texans on March 15, and it raised some alarms around the New York Giants community.
“The Vikings and Texans have agreed to terms on a major deal in advance of the draft, per me and @TomPelissero, landing Minnesota another [first-round pick],” NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport informed. “Minnesota gets No. 23 and No. 232. Houston gets No. 42, 188 and a 2025 2nd rounder.”
Now, on the surface, this deal doesn’t impact the Giants whatsoever. The Vikes gain another first rounder on the back end of the draft while the Texans load up on picks — no harm, no foul. However, different members of NYG media were quick to point out another possibility.
Patriots, Cardinals & Chargers All Named as Potential Trade Destinations for Vikings in NFL Draft
If the Giants are still considering a quarterback in round one of the draft — and the NYG beat has continued to report that they are — Minnesota could end up foiling those plans.
“The Vikings getting the wheels in motion to move up for a QB could be an interesting wrinkle for the Giants’ timeline,” stated The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. Explaining: “Let’s say the Vikings are comfortable with 3 QBs. They could make an offer to the [New England] Patriots for the third pick at any point.”
“Would the Giants be comfortable making a competing offer without finishing the full pre-draft evaluation on all of the QBs?” Duggan questioned, adding: “So many unknowns in this process. But this Vikings trade adds some urgency.”
Similarly, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan voiced that “the Minnesota Vikings are loading up with ammunition to make sure they get [one of the top quarterback prospects in the draft]” after seeing the news of this trade. He placed fourth-ranked rookie QB J.J. McCarthy in this “top 10” group, which also includes Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye.
Raanan named the Patriots and Arizona Cardinals as franchises that could potentially trade out of the top five.
Finally, ESPN NFL insider Field Yates predicted a Vikings trade up with the Los Angeles Chargers on March 15. With Williams, Daniels and Maye going one through three in his mock, he had Minnesota snatching up McCarthy at No. 5 overall.
“The Vikings made a big move on Friday in acquiring pick No. 23 from the Texans,” Yates stated. “That might not seem like much of a talker on the surface and might even seem confusing — the draft is still over a month away — but the trade seems to be forecasting another potential move up in the draft. With quarterbacks coming off the board quickly, I have the Vikings sending pick Nos. 11 and 23, along with a 2025 first-rounder, to the Chargers for this No. 5 selection.”
As you can see, with Kirk Cousins officially gone and Sam Darnold as the new starter in Minnesota, many expect the Vikings to go all-in on drafting a new quarterback of the future in 2024.
Giants Insider Says Big Blue ‘Wants’ Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy in Draft
The Giants started getting linked to McCarthy right around the beginning of March. The National Champion has become this year’s draft riser at quarterback and at this point, there’s no telling how high he’ll go.
On March 15, SNY’s Connor Hughes revealed a very interesting update on McCarthy.
“The Giants remain open-minded as it pertains to the draft,” Hughes reported. “All options are on the table at No. 6, even after signing [Drew] Lock, sources told SNY.”
Then, he added that “the main position to watch here is quarterback, specifically Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy.” Relaying: “The buzz is there that he’s the player the Giants want.”
“League sources spoke highly of McCarthy when polled by SNY,” Hughes reasoned. “One high-ranking executive said he’ll be a ‘better pro than college player.’ Another general manager said he has everything teams look for — size, athleticism, arm strength, accuracy, played in a pro-style offense. He added ‘he’s also very coachable.’”
Remember, March through April is smokescreen season around the NFL.
Having said that, is McCarthy to Big Blue some sort of ruse? Or are the Giants really ready to pull the trigger on the Michigan man in round one?