A reputable mock draft has the Vikings trading up for Will Levis

It's not just you, there really does appear to be a lot of dots connecting the Minnesota Vikings to a quarterback who could eventually replace Kirk Cousins. 

The wave of speculation has swelled since the Vikings restructured Cousins's contract instead of signing him to an extension. An extension could still happen, but since it hasn't yet there has been a flurry of speculation. This week has seen ESPN's Jeremy Fowler say the Vikings are a "wild card" for Lamar Jackson, and NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah predict the Vikings take Hendon Hooker 23rd overall in the draft. 

And now The Athletic's second of three beat writer mock drafts has the Vikings trading into the top 10 to take Kentucky quarterback Will Levis. Is the mock draft just cheap entertainment? Or is there some inside knowledge about the Vikings and interest in Levis?

Alec Lewis, who covers the Vikings for The Athletic, made a trade in the mock draft to acquire the No. 7 overall pick from the Raiders for the 23rd and 87th picks in this year's draft and their first-round pick in 2024. 

In Lewis's explanation of the move, there were some juicy tidbits regarding the links between Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell and Levis's coach at Kentucky, Liam Coen. 

"Levis, a strong-armed passer, played for Liam Coen in 2021 at Kentucky. Coen spent three years on the Rams staff with O’Connell from 2018 to 2020, then replaced him as L.A.’s offensive coordinator in 2022. Leaping to No. 7 would take some heavy lifting, but the time comes for every team to shoot its shot."

Two firsts and a third-rounder to get their future franchise quarterback and a sixth-round pick? It's a no-brainer if it works out, but if Levis busts it would be a huge whiff that sets the Vikings back years. 

It would also hurt Minnesota's chances to compete in 2023 because it would leave them with just four picks in this year's draft: a 4th, 5th and two 6th-round picks. Good luck finding players ready to help in 2023 with those picks. 

Ideally, Levis falls to 23 and the Vikings take him (assuming they'd want him).

Minnesota did meet with Levis at the Indianapolis Scouting Combine. He said the Vikings were the only team to do something quirky during the interview process, though giving him a football to hold isn't all that strange considering he's interviewing to be a football player. 

"I think the only thing I can think of – Minnesota had a football. They just kind of had you have a football in your hands, which is nice because I like having something to kind of play around with. I don't if it's because they wanted to see how big my hands were or something," said Levis.

Coen was his offensive coordinator at Kentucky in 2021 and longtime NFL talent evaluator Greg Cosell noted in his scouting report for The 33rd Team that Levis looked really good running a pro-style offense under Coen. 

"You could see watching his 2021 video (when Liam Coen was the OC) that the Kentucky pass game was built on NFL formations and route concepts, with Levis understanding the reading progressions that come from those concepts," Cosell wrote. "In 2022 with Rich Scangarello as the OC the passing game did not seem as well-designed, and Levis was not as rhythmic and efficient."

Anyway, it's just a mock draft but maybe Lewis knows something others don't? This is the beauty and fun of draft season in the NFL.