With a mere five days until the NFL draft, The Minnesota Vikings find themselves in a spot they haven’t been in for years. They desperately need a quarterback. It’s the worst-kept secret in the league. There’s been endless talk about every conceivable possibility for the Vikings, with rumors and reports coming from every part of the internet.
It’s impossible to know what they want in a quarterback, and in the NFL draft as a whole, until it’s all said and done. So, this mock draft is solely what I would do, assuming teams would be willing to engage in a trade (hint, hint.) With that being said, here is my 2024 Vikings mock draft, using the ProFootballNetwork draft simulator.
Trading picks 11, 23 (via Houston) and a first in 2025, the Vikings pick Drake Maye. There are so many think pieces on Drake Maye put out into the world, so to keep it brief, I believe Drake Maye is a blue-chip prospect at the most important position in sports. Head coach Kevin O’Connell has gone on record saying things like footwork can be fixed with coaching, and that’s what Maye struggles with most, in my opinion. New quarterback coach Josh McCown coached Maye in high school and would even share his tape with new quarterback Sam Darnold. It just feels like the stars are aligning for Maye to be the guy, but this hinges on New England’s willingness to trade.
The Vikings are currently without any day-two draft picks, so barring a trade, Minnesota will have a lot of time on their hands to think about who they’ll take at pick 108. As it currently stands, the starting left guard spot will be decided in a camp battle between previous backup tackle-turned-guard Blake Brandel and Dan Feeney, who started one game for the Bears last year. McCormick spent six years at SDSU, starting in four of those years. He tested well at the combine and could be a much-needed piece in an O-line room that needs challengers for the open spot at guard.
Aaron Jones will be the most impactful offensive addition for the Vikings, but injury problems have plagued him throughout his career. Ty Chandler has had his moments of high-caliber football, but adding Wright to the mix could set the Vikings up well if Jones does miss any games, and in the future as well. Wright ran for over 1,000 yards last season and ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at the combine. He’s also shown to be comfortable catching passes out of the backfield. With Jones on a one-year deal and Chandler unproven up to this point, adding Warren would make this backfield group more interesting.
Jaylen Wright is a RB prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.82 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 33 out of 1765 RB from 1987 to 2024.
Splits projectedhttps://t.co/ps5ntoHNxK pic.twitter.com/XW5WLpqRLP
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 2, 2024
The Vikings currently have three interior defensive signed to their roster. Aside from Harrison Phillips, none of them have seen any meaningful snaps. The Vikings need help all across the defensive line, not just in the interior. Eboigbe brings versatility all across the defensive line, something that’s desperately needed in the defensive line room. Coming off of a herniated disk suffered in 2022, Eboigbe racked up 11.5 tackles for loss and 7 sacks last season, which earned him First Team All-SEC honors.
Justin Eboigbe is a DT prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored a 5.65 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 726 out of 1668 DT from 1987 to 2024.
Pro day pending.https://t.co/4DreVs9yK7 pic.twitter.com/b83fYWzX9K
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 20, 2024
With T.J. Hockenson expected to miss a significant portion of the 2024 season, tight end has quietly become a need going into training camp. If they want to expand on a Josh Oliver, Johnny Mundt and Nick Muse tight end room, that would be understandable. All is coming off his own knee injury, tearing his ACL 7 games into the season. All can line up all over the field (no pun intended) and gives the Vikings some needed receiving power in the absence of their star tight end. He took a top-30 visit to Minnesota, so there’s clear interest on the Viking’s side of things.
Another top-30 visit, Boyd would be another step in filling out a depleted defensive line group. Weighing in at 325 pounds and repping 38 times on the bench press show his strength, which shows itself when playing the run. The Vikings were an average run-stuffing defense a season ago. Bringing in Boyd would give them another Harrison Phillips-esque player.
When drafting players in the seventh round, you’re drafting players to fill out the roster. Looking for guys who have solid traits with the hope they could become useful players shortly. Richardson stands at 6’2” and ran a 4.34 40-yard dash at the combine, which is one enticing combo of athleticism and height. He’s a tall, fast and physical corner who ran a lot of press-man coverage in college, something the Vikings would be intrigued by. He also played in over 300 special-teams snaps in his college career, which could be key in fighting for a roster spot.
Decamerion Richardson is a CB prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.77 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 52 out of 2222 CB from 1987 to 2024.
Splits Projectedhttps://t.co/dvtJXpkBT2 pic.twitter.com/W1OD5orVDC
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 1, 2024
The third and final defensive lineman drafted and wrapping up the 2024 draft class for Minnesota, Sundiata Anderson dominated the Southwestern Athletic Conference with 20 sacks in his collegiate career, with five of those coming in 2023, earning him First Team All-SWAC honors. Anderson has long arms and shows promise rushing the passer, and adds another young and competitive player to this defense.
Sundiata Anderson is a DE prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored a 5.99 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 722 out of 1798 DE from 1987 to 2024. https://t.co/VFgOPCiWVX pic.twitter.com/rjwkxE3uwP
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 21, 2024
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The Las Vegas Raiders were without Malcolm Koonce last season after he tore his ACL before the season started. So, they had to rely on production from other players, like Charles Snowden, K'Lavon Chaisson, Tyree Wilson, and others. And, to be fair to those guys, it worked -- despite all of the injuries the Raiders had on the defensive line last season, to Koonce, Maxx Crosby, Christian Wilkins, and Tyree Wilson, the defensive line was still really, really good, and that's props to Robbie Leonard, the DL coach. Now, it's been a year -- Koonce, who hasn't played in a year, was brought back as a free agent on a one-year deal, where he will get to prove himself, that he's still the same guy despite the injury. If he is, they will likely bring him back on a bigger, long-term deal. If he's not, then the Raiders may just move on. Koonce has been back at camp, and the Raiders couldn't be happier to see him. Patrick Graham is happy to see Malcolm Koonce at training camp “I'm excited for him to get a chance to get out there and get better. I'm glad he’s back. His energy both on the field and in the classroom is infectious. The fact that he goes out there and executes at a high level, it’s always encouraging to see that, and it’s a good example for other players," defensive coordinator Patrick Graham said on Day 4 of training camp. 2023 was a crazy season for Koonce. His performance was particularly notable in the second half of the season, where he recorded six of his eight sacks and 10 of his 17 quarterback hits in the final four games, with a standout game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day, where he notched a career-high three sacks and eight pressures against Patrick Mahomes. He was balling, for sure. His performance surged after Week 8, with 35 pressures, seven sacks, six tackles for loss, 15 quarterback hits, and three forced fumbles, establishing him as one of the NFL’s top pass rushers during that stretch. If the Raiders can get that back in 2025, things are going to get scary for the rest of the league.
With the trade for Ryan McMahon now complete, it would seem New York Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman has fulfilled one of his three priorities. He can now cross third base off the list, which leaves the rotation and bullpen as his remaining priorities. However, according to one Yankees writer, Cashman might not be done with the infield. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reported this after the McMahon trade: “The Yankees may not be done adding to their infield. A team source said the Yankees are interested in adding a right-handed hitter who could play the infield.” Kirschner adds that the Yankees have had interest in Willi Castro and Amed Rosario. But the question now is, how would another player fit into the Yankees’ infield? Needless to say, Paul Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm Jr. aren’t going anywhere, and McMahon is just getting there. That leaves the low-hanging fruit. Anthony Volpe has been at the center of controversy all this season. His 13 errors, many of which had come at make-or-break moments, amount to the second-highest total in the game. In addition, his bat has not been able to compensate, hitting .217/.288/.408 with 14 home runs. There was always a lot to like about Volpe. He won a Gold Glove in his rookie year, his power has always been promising and his speed is nothing to scoff at. Unfortunately, his glove has become a liability, and his speed has also produced very few results. Volpe has swiped just 10 bags in 17 attempts. His power is the one thing that still has some upside, but it hasn’t been enough to justify a spot in the lineup. Both Castro and Rosario have been far more productive at the plate this season than Volpe. Kirschner doesn’t clarify how serious the Yankees are in their pursuit of another infielder, but that most likely isn’t available information. Having just turned 24, Volpe could still become the type of player that was expected from him as a top prospect. However, his recent performance has weighed heavily on his team’s efforts, and it may be buying him a ticket out of the Bronx — or at least a spot on the bench.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have plenty of suitors for third baseman Eugenio Suarez. A new team has reportedly entered the market for his services. Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Phillies have reached out regarding Suarez. While Lauber did not provide any indication as to whether or not those talks have gained traction, the Phillies are an intriguing suitor for the Diamondbacks' third baseman. The Phillies' interest may be a recent development. Jon Heyman of the New York Post speculated on Friday that the Phillies could emerge as a suitor in the wake of third baseman Alec Bohm landing on the injured list with a fractured left rib. Suarez is in the midst of what is arguably his best season thus far. He has produced a .249/.321/.587 batting line in 421 plate appearances entering Saturday with 36 homers and a major league-leading 87 RBI. Suarez would be more than just another powerful bat in the lineup. Designated hitter Kyle Schwarber and first baseman Bryce Harper are both left-handed hitters — adding Suarez would provide more balance in the batting order. He would also provide a counter against opposing managers bringing in a lefty reliever to face Schwarber and Harper. The biggest question would be how the Phillies would handle an eventual logjam on the roster. Bohm is expected to return from the IL in mid-August and would not have a clear path to regular at-bats if Suarez were acquired. Schwarber could theoretically return to left field to open up playing time at the DH spot, but his outfield defense is mediocre at best. However, as the Phillies are also looking to upgrade the outfield, where Max Kepler and Brandon Marsh have been disappointments, adding Suarez could solve several problems in one fell swoop.
The Golden State Warriors are yet to reach a resolution with Jonathan Kuminga this summer, and they seem to be biding their time for a superstar, should he be made available. The Golden State Warriors are yet to make any sort of move this offseason, despite being linked to both Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton. Priority number one seems to be figuring out the Jonathan Kuminga situation. He is a restricted free agent, and the Warriors have extended a qualifying offer, keeping him on the books for another season unless he is moved in a sign-and-trade, which seems to be a very real possibility. Kuminga and the Warriors seem to be on the outs, with both parties preferring him to play elsewhere this season, although it could benefit both of them for him to sign a longer deal with Golden State. Warriors would prefer to sign Kuminga to longer deal If Kuminga returns to Golden State on the one-year qualifying offer, he will make $7.9 million next season before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer. As a free agent, he should be able to sign a lucrative deal next summer, but that means spending another year in Golden State, which he doesn’t want to do. On top of that, if he gets injured this season, there is no guarantee that his next contract will be maximized, so there is some risk involved. It seems counter-intuitive for him to sign a big deal with the Warriors, although committing–on paper at least–to the Dubs long term could work out for him. If he signs a new deal, he has to wait three months before being traded, although he will likely have more suitors than he would if he was simply playing on a one-year rental contract. For both the Warriors and Kuminga, signing him for three or four years not only would make him more guaranteed money, but it makes him easier to move. With Kuminga signed to a whole new contract, the Warriors can set their sights on a prized trade target. Kuminga could be centerpiece of Giannis Antetokounmpo trade Giannis Antetokounmpo has yet to demand a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks, but if the Doc Rivers-led team falls flat, even with Myles Turner in town, it stands to reason that the Bucks will have to have a difficult talk next summer. A fourth first-round exit in a row in 2026 would likely spell the end of the Giannis era in Milwaukee, and the Warriors, as well as the rest of the league, are gearing up to add him. With Kuminga signed to a longer deal, the Warriors can include him as a key part of a possible trade package. “There’s another reason why the Warriors don’t want to give Kuminga away for less than his full trade value: Like every other smart team, they’re trying to maintain every asset they’ve got so they’re ready once and if the Giannis Antetokounmpo market heats up,” wrote The San Francisco Standard’s Tim Kawakami. “If you’re looking to build a trade around a young player who could step right into a barren roster and give a transitioning team a burst of energy … well, I think the Warriors might have a candidate to bring up if Milwaukee ever asks. That is, if the Warriors and Kuminga can agree on a solid deal this summer.” It will take a lot more than Kuminga to land Antetokounmpo, although the Warriors could toss in Moses Moody, who was extended last summer, as well as up to three first-round picks and multiple pick swaps, possibly enough to get a deal done for a new franchise centerpiece to build around.