NFL Rumors: Vikings ‘planted seeds’ for draft-changing trade at Senior Bowl

The Minnesota Vikings followed up a promising campaign in 2022 with a forgettable 7-10 record in 2023. This offseason is a pivotal one for the Vikings, and their upcoming decisions will determine the franchise's successes for years to come. The biggest mystery surrounding Minnesota right now is their future at the quarterback position.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins is set to be a free agent after six seasons in Minnesota, and the Vikings aren't likely to give the 35-year-old quarterback a fully guaranteed deal this time around. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer noted that Cousins, who is recovering from a torn Achilles injury, "is now in position to hit the market like he did six years ago, this time older and, of course, more injured."

The Vikings will likely look to the 2024 NFL Draft to find their next signal-caller.

The Vikings currently hold the No. 11 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, which will be too far to select one of the top quarterback prospects in this draft class.

"People around the league are keeping an eye on the Vikings at No. 11, too," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote. "They did a lot of quarterback homework last offseason and could eventually target one high in the draft with free agent Kirk Cousins' future in Minnesota uncertain."

Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will likely meet with other executives to explore trade opportunities during the NFL Scouting Combine. In fact, KSTP-TV's Darren Wolfson claimed that the Vikings spoke with the New England Patriots about acquiring the No. 3 overall pick while the teams were in Mobile, Ala., for the 2024 Senior Bowl.

"Here’s what I was told: Down in Mobile, there was a seed planted with New England by the Vikings," Wolfson said on the "Mackey and Judd" podcast. "Now, I’m not suggesting talks have advanced — it was one of those, ‘Hey, we’ll circle back to you [at the NFL Combine]' — but that some sort of seed was planted in terms of, ‘Hey, is there even any interest on your front to move off that No. 3 pick?'"

Wolfson added, "I’m not suggesting it’s going to get done … I’m just saying, I was led to believe that at least some sort of seed was planted in Mobile."

NFL Rumors: Vikings approached Patriots about potentially trading for No. 3 overall pick

Rumors will only become more rampant as the 2024 NFL Draft approaches closer. Some of them — like head coach Sean Payton being interested in Patrick Mahomes — ultimately end up being true. Others are nothing more than smokescreens attempting to mislead other teams. Will anything come of this potential trade between the Vikings and Patriots? At this point, it's unlikely. Even if there was a discussion between the Patriots and Vikings, every team makes dozens of inquiries about trades but most of them never take shape.

Either way, there will likely be other teams vying for the Patriots' coveted No. 3 pick. According to NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah, the 2024 NFL Draft features three top-tier quarterback prospects: USC's Caleb Williams, UNC's Drake Maye and LSU's Jayden Daniels. There is considered to be a drop-off after those three, although Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy has seen his stock rise in recent weeks. Jeremiah believes that the top three selections in the draft will all be quarterbacks. The Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders and New England Patriots currently hold the first three selections, respectively.

The Minnesota Vikings have nine selections in the 2024 NFL Draft, but moving from No. 11 to No. 3 would take a lot of draft capital. Based on the trade value chart developed by former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson, the No. 3 pick is worth 2,200 points and the No. 11 pick is valued at 1,250. The difference of 950 points between those two picks is equivalent to the No. 17 overall pick. In addition to the No. 11 overall pick, the Vikings also hold the No. 42 overall pick in the second round, but they don't have another selection until the fourth round.

To trade up to No. 3, they would likely have to surrender their first-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft and the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Vikings could also elect to hold the No. 11 pick and select whichever quarterback prospect falls to them. After all, that worked out quite well for them when they selected quarterback Daunte Culpepper with the No. 11 pick in the 1999 NFL Draft.

Regardless of where the Vikings end up selecting, they need to make sure they select the right players. Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is finally gone, which means there's an opportunity for them to seize the NFC North division.