Are the Vikings preparing to move into the top three in the 2024 NFL Draft?

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Let me tell you, attempting to sort through all of the different rumors that are out there in the days leading up to the NFL Draft is an absolutely dizzying process. It’s almost like putting together a puzzle, only the puzzle pieces are constantly changing sizes and colors and shapes. And for whatever reason, aside from the #1 pick — which has practically been set in stone for months now — the top of the draft this year seems more uncertain than ever.

Among the many teams that have come together and converged at the center of all of this is the Minnesota Vikings, who after letting Kirk Cousins walk in free agency are now on the hunt for their next franchise quarterback. At some point over the past couple of weeks, the Vikings have been tied to basically every non-Caleb Williams quarterback who will likely be selected in the 1st Round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night. Michigan’s JJ McCarthy looked to be emerging as the favorite to land in Minnesota, but today, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter dropped some intel that makes so much sense, it makes me wonder if Minnesota’s rumored interest in McCarthy had been a smokescreen all along.

“Some around the league believe if the Vikings can get as high as No. 3, their preference would be quarterback Drake Maye (North Carolina), who was coached in high school by Minnesota’s new quarterbacks coach Josh McCown,” Schefter stated. Now while a prior connection between a prospect and a member of an NFL coaching staff is by no means a guarantee that quarterback and coach will reunited in the NFL, this realization that McCown and Maye have such a history together did prompt a specific domino effect of events that could potentially play out on Draft night. Buckle in, because we’re going for a ride!

-Chicago will be taking Caleb Williams with the 1st overall pick in the draft, even as more and more anonymous scouts and coaches and executives around the league are beginning to speak out publicly about their preference of LSU’s Jayden Daniels. The Bears have all but conceded that Williams will be their pick, as he should be.

-Things are still very much up in the air for Washington at #2, but a report today that JJ McCarthy’s odds to be the 2nd overall pick are surging indicates two things: 1) Jim Harbaugh apparently has a lot of sway around the NFL, 2) Even though McCarthy’s odds are currently just 11/1 to be the 2nd overall pick, my gut tells me that Washington is going to stun everyone and take McCarthy with that pick.

-That leaves New England in a position where they’re evaluating their options of Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye. For a moment, let’s assume that New England prefers Daniels, and while we’re at it, let’s assume the connection between McCown and Maye is real and that the Vikings would move up to #3 to take Maye. This would give way to a possibility that Schefter noted in his previously mentioned piece: if New England trades the 3rd overall pick to Minnesota so the Vikings could select Drake Maye, the Patriots would then be in position to pool some of their assets, make a deal with Arizona, and move back up to 4 to take Jayden Daniels.

Schefter notes in his piece that Patriots owner Robert Kraft very clearly stated, “One way or another, I’d like to see us get a top-rate, young quarterback.” This scenario would allow the Patriots to do just that while potentially making out on the deal as well.

Again, all of this is speculative and purely hypothetical, because we haven’t even addressed the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos, QB needy teams that have been rumored to be interested in moving into the top ten to get their guy.

In the end, maybe we should just listen to Bill Belichick and come to realize that everything up until 12 hours before the draft is just noise. But then again, pre-draft speculation is like a overpowering symphony… it’s the kind of noise we just can’t get enough of.