Drake Maye’s high school tape could be key for Vikings to trade up

It feels abundantly clear what the Minnesota Vikings are attempting to do. By acquiring a second first-round pick without giving up one of their own, Minnesota is hoping that it has the ammo to trade up and select a quarterback early in the first round.

Whether the Vikings actually do have the ammo to get a deal done without giving up Justin Jefferson or future assets remains to be seen, but if they're able to pull it off, they might have identified which quarterback they'd want to do it for.

Caleb Williams is expected by almost everyone to go No. 1 overall to the Bears, but where the other quarterbacks fall is a mystery. Drake Maye, arguably the second-best quarterback in the class, might be on Minnesota's radar for one very interesting reason.

Can Josh McCown and Sam Darnold be why the Vikings trade up for Drake Maye?

Back in 2018 while both McCown and Darnold were Jets quarterbacks, they'd watch every Drake Maye high school game together and break down the tape. McCown had a connection to Maye's coach.

McCown, the current Vikings quarterbacks coach, might have somewhat of a say when it comes to scouting quarterbacks. If he likes what he sees with Maye, could the Vikings trade up with him in mind?

It'd take a monster offer for Minnesota to get this done, especially if it doesn't include Justin Jefferson. Will No. 11 and No. 23 be enough? Probably not. Can Minnesota throw in a future first or some other asset(s)? Potentially. It's going to take a godfather offer for teams like the Commanders and Patriots who hold the No. 2 and No. 3 overall picks respectively to even consider trading down, especially with the Vikings being all the way at 11.

The Vikings are going to select a quarterback in the first round. That's almost a guarantee. How good the quarterback is, is what we'll soon find out. Their goal is to get one of the high-end guys, with Maye potentially being at the top of their list thanks to the McCown/Darnold connection. We'll soon find out how realistic that goal is.