Could the Minnesota Vikings be plotting to hand over the keys to Sam Darnold full-time for the 2024 season?
The Vikings appeared to be setting themselves up to take a quarterback in the top ten of this year’s draft when they traded to add a second first-round pick earlier this offseason. The Vikings were expected to look at selecting a long-term solution at signal caller after Kirk Cousins signed with the Atlanta Falcons in March.
The Vikings are still in a position to make a trade to select a quarterback in the top five. However, the momentum of reports in the last week indicates the Vikings are planning to make a different move on April 25.
Sam Darnold expected to be the Week 1 starter
Per Alec Lewis of The Athletic, the Vikings plan to start Darnold at the beginning of the season regardless of whether they take a quarterback in the draft. The team wants a quarterback:
The Vikings are likely to ride with Sam Darnold in the early portion of the season no matter what they do in the draft. But the future at the positionremains Minnesota’s biggest question mark. Coach Kevin O’Connell is buried in evaluation at the moment, meeting with many of the top prospects via private workouts.
One way to read this is that the Vikings don’t think they can trade up for a quarterback who will be a Week 1 starter. The team will need to develop whoever the Vikings select for under center.
While quarterback is a pressing need, especially for a team that has put a significant amount of stock at pass-catching positions in recent years, the team also needs to fill other holes, especially if the quarterback they take can’t beat out Darnold this fall.
The Minnesota Vikings have other positions to fill
Lewis said the team is looking at using one of their first-round picks at another position:
“The Vikings also have the draft capital (Nos. 11 and No. 23) to make a massive move up the board. The issue is, that involves major risk, and Minnesota has plenty of other needs, including interior defensive line, cornerback and guard. Filling those voids later on is fine if you can land a franchise-changer at the QB position, especially in an era when you have to beat the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen to win.”
Again, do the Vikings think they draft a quarterback in the top five who can immediately change the franchise?
The Minnesota Vikings could be going pass rusher first
The Vikings are meeting with a few players from other positions this week. Per Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport with the NFL Network, the Vikings are meeting with Alabama star pass rusher Dallas Turner and Texas pass rusher Byron Murphy II.
Murphy could easily be within the Vikigns range with the No. 11 pick. However, the Vikings’ interest in Turner is a surprise. Turner isn’t expected to fall out of the top ten. The Atlanta Falcons are probably the most likely team to scoop him up with the No. 8 pick. Should he fall to the Chicago Bears at No. 9, it’s hard to see them pass up Turner since head coach Matt Eberflus really wants a pass rusher.
Are the Vikings looking into a possible trade-up for a pass rusher to replace Danielle Hunter? Possibly. The Vikings would pull off one of the biggest surprises of the draft if they traded up to take a pass rusher in a draft most analysts thought they were going quarterback.
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