The Minnesota Vikings have been patiently waiting for this moment, and it’s finally upon them. On Thursday night, the Vikings will be on the clock in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and all eyes will be on their decision at quarterback, a position they have desperately needed to address for years.
Whether it’s LSU’s Jayden Daniels, UNC’s Drake Maye, Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, Washington’s Michael Penix, or Oregon’s Bo Nix, the Vikings are expected to select a quarterback with their first-round pick. The magnitude of this decision is not lost on general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell. They know that getting this right could define their tenures in Minnesota, while getting it wrong could lead to a quick exit.
The Vikings have been preparing for this moment since Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell joined forces, and they are confident in their ability to make the right choice. They believe that the Vikings have created an ideal landing spot for a rookie quarterback, with an abundance of offensive weapons at their disposal.
“The path is not the same for every player,” O’Connell said. “We just happen to have a really good situation.”
Everything a rookie quarterback needs to succeed seems to be in place at TCO Performance Center, even if he ends up watching from the sidelines this season with journeyman quarterback Sam Darnold under center. Not only do the Vikings have a pair of dynamic playmakers in star receiver Justin Jefferson and young receiver Jordan Addison, a security blanket in star tight end T.J. Hockenson, and a workhorse in veteran running back Aaron Jones, they have an offensive mastermind in O’Connell running the show.
“If we gave truth serum to the quarterbacks and the agents of all the top guys, every single one of them would say they would love nothing more than to go to the Vikings,” NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said. “That would be the No. 1 choice. That is by far the best landing spot for a quarterback to go into. It’s all set up.”
The Vikings’ infrastructure should be able to support whichever rookie quarterback they decide to take, something that can’t be said about other teams who are also in the market for a quarterback, such as the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots.
“It’s not just getting the quarterback right,” Adofo-Mensah said. “It’s getting the quarterback right and the team around it.”
The Vikings are well aware that they may need to trade up in the draft to secure their desired quarterback, and they are prepared to do so. They have never drafted a quarterback in the Top 10, and this might be their best opportunity to do so.
“We’re not the only team that may want to select one of these guys,” O’Connell said. “We’re working through making sure we know the landscape of the whole class at that position, as we are many, many positions throughout the draft that we think we can help our team win.”
Here’s a look at where the Vikings are picking in the 2024 NFL Draft. Notably, they have a couple of selections on Day 1, barring a trade, and no selections on Day 2.
No. 11 (first round)
No. 23 (first round)
No. 108 (fourth round)
No. 129 (fourth round)
No. 157 (fifth round)
No. 167 (fifth round)
No. 177 (sixth round)
No. 230 (seventh round)
No. 232 (seventh round)
