Minnesota Vikings trade clearly hints at QB draft pick, but for who exactly?

This is the move that predates the big money. Are you watching closely? During the latter part of the first week of NFL free agency, we have a trade! The Minnesota Vikings are sending the No. 42 and No. 188 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, along with a second-rounder next spring to the Houston Texans in exchange for the No. 23 and No. 232 picks this year. Minnesota already has the No. 11 overall pick...

So if you read between the lines, the Vikings are absolutely going to use their own pick at No. 11, as well as the No. 23 pick they just got from the Texans to move up in the draft to take a franchise quarterback. If they were to stand pat at No. 11, the Vikings would be in the range to select either J.J. McCarthy out of Michigan, or potentially reach on Bo Nix out of Oregon. Now, the calculus has changed.

While I am a tad skeptical in understanding why the Texans would give up on a late first-round pick, especially since they were horrific for years prior to last season, this makes all the sense in the world for Minnesota. The Vikings wanted to get younger at quarterback. This is why they let Kirk Cousins walk in his free agency to the Atlanta Falcons. Signing Sam Darnold was only to serve as a stop-gap, something the team has been clear about.

With the No. 11 and No. 23 pick, Minnesota should be able to get comfortably into the top 10, possibly even into the top five if teams like Arizona or Los Angeles are open for business.

But even with two first-round picks, I don't know if it is enough to trade up to No. 3 with New England.

Let's take a look at where the Vikings could realistically land if they were to trade up for a quarterback.

NFL rumors: Minnesota Vikings are poised to trade up for a quarterback

At this point, the absolute highest I think the Vikings could get to is No. 2 in a blockbuster trade with the Washington Commanders. They would have to give up the farm to pull off that trade, as Dan Quinn's team is desperate for a franchise quarterback. If Washington stands pat, they will have their choice between Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye, maybe even Caleb Williams if he does not go No. 1.

To me, the fact that Minnesota and Washington play in the same conference makes a trade up from No. 11 to No. 2 for the Vikings all the more difficult. At this point, a realistic reach would be to get to No. 3. If that were to happen, you would have to think the New England Patriots are good with going with Jacoby Brissett for this season, as well as taking someone like Nix or even McCarthy at No. 11.

Even if the Patriots play in the opposite conference, I think it would be a tough sell for the remnants of the former Evil Empire to go back eight spots for the next Mac Jones. No, thank you. So what are the Vikings to do? If I were general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, I would do everything in my power to trade up to either No. 4 or No. 5 in a deal with the Arizona Cardinals or the Los Angeles Chargers.

Arizona already has Kyler Murray and Los Angeles already has Justin Herbert. Use that to your advantage, Vikings. At this point, you make either of these trades to get past the New York Giants picking at No. 6. If McCarthy is there, he is gone. By getting into the top five at either No. 4 or No. 5, the Vikings would have their choice of either McCarthy or even Drake Maye out of North Carolina.

While McCarthy is definitely a reach at No. 4 or No. 5, Maye is not. He is some variation of a Josh Allen, an Andrew Luck or even an Aaron Rodgers coming out of UNC. Maye is raw, but there is not a head coach I trust more to develop a quarterback than Kevin O'Connell with the Vikings. So whoever they get with that top-five selection could become a star in this league. To me, I would go with Maye.

Overall, if McCarthy is the guy, then maybe you can try your luck and trade up with teams like the Tennessee Titans or Atlanta Falcons picking at No. 7 and No. 8, respectively. New York is not a realistic trade partner. Tennessee might be, but who is their quarterback exactly? Atlanta has Cousins, but again, can you trust New York and Tennessee not to take a quarterback this spring?

If I were the Vikings I orchestrate a trade with the Cardinals to get up to No. 4 to then go get your guy.