The Minnesota Vikings likely did not wind up with their ideal quarterback, but they may have gotten a best-case scenario after all.
On the first night of the 2024 NFL Draft, Minnesota added two top-10 picks for the price of one, even when it seems they were prepared to give up a whole lot more.
Helped by a shocker at No. 8 overall (Atlanta’s selection of Michael Penix Jr.) and a wide receiver dash, the Vikings only had to trade up one spot to get their new signal caller, essentially only parting with a fourth-round pick to do so. They then got to keep the No. 23 overall pick, which they traded for earlier this spring to maximize their flexibility and fortify their potential offer.
It’s better to be overprepared than under.
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[Why Falcons made stunning pick, taking QB Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall]
Not content to stand pat, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah traded up again using that No. 23 pick, this time vaulting six spots in an exchange with the Jacksonville Jaguars, to get one of the best edge defenders in the class to pair opposite Jonathan Greenard on the defensive line. Minnesota predictably parted with more capital, giving up a fifth-rounder this year and third- and fourth-round picks in 2025. That price may seem a little steep, but I don’t think there’s a question that Alabama’s Dallas Turner is an immediate starter and cornerstone you can build a defense around.
It also means defensive coordinator Brian Flores now has more on the edge than he ever has as a play caller. Though he took the Miami Dolphins from the sack cellar to a top-five-producing unit in his time as head coach, he never had a player eclipse double-digit sacks. Flores’ scheme became multiple and creative out of necessity.
Well, it’s still creative. But it’s also more talented now.
“In some other drafts where there’s not six quarterbacks going in the first 12 or 13 picks, whatever it was, a guy like Dallas Turner would not be around for us to possibly trade up for,” said O’Connell. “So when it got to a certain point, we had identified Dallas as a guy that we thought was a great fit in Flo’s defense, incredibly versatile, huge traits and skillset to be a dominant player on the edge for us and the opportunity to add him to our team.
“Dallas Turner, quite frankly, was a guy that we had kind of identified once we had selected a quarterback and we were able to hold on to first-round assets,” said O’Connell. “Not only 23 this year, but into the future.”
Will J.J. McCarthy succeed as a Minnesota Viking?
Translation? They were prepared to give up potentially three first-round picks to move up for a quarterback. Whether that was initially an offer to the New England Patriots for Drake Maye at No. 3 or if it was always McCarthy, we might never know, but two things can be true. They could have preferred one player but been prepared for others.
Remember that whole better to be overprepared than under thing?
“Quarterbacks were going to be very popular in this draft,” O’Connell said. “That’s where you lean on that process, like you lean on making sure that you feel comfortable with multiple scenarios because that’s really what it is when you go through a draft like this.”
And now that it’s worked out this way, I truly believe it’s for the better. Had the Vikings gotten Maye, a great prospect but not a sure thing, they would have had bet a ton by leveraging not only this year’s capital but future draft picks as well. New England not taking a three-first-round-pick haul is a conversation for another time, but it would have undoubtedly put the pressure on Adofo-Mensah, O’Connell and Maye himself. What if Maye didn’t work out? Minnesota’s front office wouldn’t survive it. Neither would the coaching staff. And the Vikings would have a loaded roster without a way to utilize it and no way out.
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Now, even if McCarthy doesn’t end up being the guy, Minnesota still has a first-round pick next year (though not a ton else) and a defense that can win games even with a bridge starter under center. That’s the hope, anyway.
There were doubts about the ‘competitive rebuild’ the Vikings were embarking on when Adofo-Mensah took over. If McCarthy develops under former quarterback O’Connell and his staff, while they keep a ton of talent around him, that seemingly contradictory statement may work out after all.
And it will be heavily thanks to Adofo-Mensah maximizing value on just the first night of the 2024 draft.
Carmen Vitali covers the NFC North for FOX Sports. Carmen had previous stops with The Draft Network and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She spent six seasons with the Bucs, including 2020, which added the title of Super Bowl Champion (and boat-parade participant) to her résumé. You can follow Carmen on Twitter at @CarmieV.
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