Getty Head coach Kevin O'Connell of the Minnesota Vikings looks on during a game against the Chicago Bears in January 2023.
The Minnesota Vikings could have their cake and eat it too in the upcoming draft.
As the perennial quarterback hype has sent mock drafters selecting four quarterbacks to go in the first round, the Vikings could sit pat or even trade back and land a quarterback and potentially another top-50 prospect.
Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson proposed Minnesota could be a dark horse to select a quarterback, suggesting the Vikings could trade back and land Hendon Hooker with the Kansas City Chief‘s final pick of the first round.
“I would throw in one dark horse. I think the Minnesota Vikings at 23 are dark horse. The Minnesota Vikings are doing their homework on quarterbacks, too,” Robinson said on an April 10 edition of the You Pod to Win the Game podcast. “You hear a lot about how much they like Hendon Hooker…There’s some talk about ‘Could Minnesota be that team that tries to trade up to 31 (the Miami Dolphins forfeited their first-round pick after violating league rules) at Kansas City’s spot?’ ”
The Chiefs are in an ideal position with few holes on their Super Bowl-caliber roster and 10 draft picks available to move up and draft for need and find an impact player. Last season, they moved from No. 29 to No. 21 to select cornerback Trent McDuffie and are in a similar position in 2023.
“Kansas City has holes at offensive tackle and edge rusher, two positions that are plentiful in the first round. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Chiefs move up from No. 31 into the early 20s for a top-tier prospect at one of those spots,” ESPN insider Jordan Reid wrote.
Meanwhile, the Vikings only have four picks and none in the second round. Acquiring additional draft capital could help Minnesota on Day 2 of the draft.
Selecting a quarterback like Hooker in the first round comes with the benefit of having a fifth-year option, only available to first-round picks, which would guarantee more flexibility under center for the next five seasons with Justin Jefferson and Christian Darrisaw expected to see massive paydays after their rookie deals expire.
The Vikings could land Hooker and still select from a deep cornerback class, wide receiver or defensive line in the second round if they can find a partner to trade back with like the Chiefs.
Vikings Doing the Most Homework on Hendon Hooker, Insider Says
After a recent trend of accredited mock drafters sending Hooker to the Vikings, KSTP’s Darren Wolfson inquired about Hooker and found that Minnesota has invested as much scouting and pre-draft work as any team in Hooker.
“Somebody close to Hendon Hooker told me that his sense is: the Vikings have been doing as much homework on him as any organization around,” Wolfson reported on the SKOR North podcast on April 4.
Hooker, 25, impressed in his final two seasons at Tennessee, throwing 58 touchdowns and just five interceptions in 24 starts before tearing his ACL last November. Hooker has been knocked for the simplicity of the Vols offense not translating to the NFL.
However, Hooker, the oldest quarterback in this upcoming draft, impressed in many interviews over the past month that has catapulted his draft stock as high as inside the top 10 of the first round.
Vikings Visit With Stanford’s Tanner McKee
While the Hooker hype hasn’t ceased, Minnesota did bring in another quarterback, Stanford’s Tanner McKee, Wolfson reported on April 11.
One QB in Eagan today visiting the #Vikings, I hear: Stanford’s Tanner McKee.
At 6-foot-5, McKee is a pro-style pocket passer projected to go in the fifth round, according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
“A pro-style pocket passer, McKee has an NFL arm with the ball placement and field vision to move the football when everything stays on schedule. However, he is unproven as a three-level passing threat who can also handle pressure,” Brugler wrote. “Overall, McKee is an accurate rhythm passer and prepped in a multiple-read offense, but there weren’t many second-chance plays on tape and his lack of mobility will be tough to overcome versus next-level speed. His NFL projection is similar to that of Mike Glennon coming out of college.”