With the 2024 NFL Draft approaching in four weeks, fans eagerly anticipate discovering who will be the Minnesota Vikings‘ quarterback in the post-Kirk Cousins era.
The Vikings are faced with eight key draft questions, including the possibility of selecting a quarterback for the future, although there remains speculation about potentially relying on Sam Darnold instead.
However, quarterback isn’t the sole concern for Minnesota as they approach the draft. Here are the top eight questions facing the team, listed in ascending order of importance (No. 1 being the most significant question).
8. Will the Vikings Draft a Successor for Bradbury?
Garrett Bradbury, a first-round pick in 2019, is set to become a free agent after the 2025 season. While he has developed into a solid center for the Vikings, he hasn’t reached the level of a guaranteed Pro Bowler typically expected from a first-round selection. Given this, it’s conceivable that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah might use mid-to-late round draft picks to secure Bradbury’s eventual successor. Players like Delmar Glaze from Maryland and Andrew Raym from Oklahoma could be potential options available on Day 3 of the draft.
7. What’s the plan for the kicker position?
The recent signing of XFL standout kicker Parker Romo to a two-year deal suggests he might be the frontrunner for the position. Additionally, Greg Joseph’s reported move to the Green Bay Packers adds to the uncertainty surrounding the Vikings’ kicking situation.
However, Vikings fans are aware that previous coaching staffs have shown a preference for summer kicking competitions. Therefore, it’s possible that a rookie kicker will either be drafted or acquired as an undrafted free agent to provide competition for Romo. Potential candidates like Will Reichard from Alabama and Jonah Dalmas from Boise State could be considered for the role.
6. Will the Vikings secure a left guard to vie for competition alongside Blake Brandel?
Dalton Risner‘s absence from re-signing with Minnesota suggests he won’t be coming back. This could pave the way for Blake Brandel to take over at left guard in 2024, especially after the experienced lineman secured a three-year contract in free agency. However, similar to the situation with Bradbury, the Vikings might opt to draft a competitor to challenge Brandel during the upcoming summer or sign a free agent. Notably, Michigan boasts two promising offensive guards, Zak Zinter and Trevor Keegan, who could be available in the later rounds of the draft.
5. Is the existing cornerback group sufficient?
As of March 28th, the Vikings have a depth chart featuring five capable cornerbacks:
1. Byron Murphy
2. Mekhi Blackmon
3. Shaquill Griffin
4. Akayleb Evans
5. Andrew Booth
With a full complement of cornerbacks already in place, Adofo-Mensah might not have the draft resources to invest in a high-round selection. However, there remains the possibility of drafting a cornerback to challenge or potentially replace one of the aforementioned players.
4. Will the Vikings retain their first-round pick in the 2025 draft?
Many expect the Vikings to make another trade to secure a quarterback in this draft, but the exact cost remains uncertain. Minnesota might negotiate with the Patriots and offer three first-round picks to acquire the selection needed for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy. Alternatively, the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Chargers have expressed openness to trades, so Adofo-Mensah must decide whether to retain next year’s first-round pick.
This is crucial because Minnesota’s performance could suffer with a rookie quarterback likely to get significant playing time in 2024, potentially resulting in a high draft pick for 2025. It would be preferable to retain that pick, but only time will tell what decision they make.
3. Which team will Minnesota target for a trade?
If Minnesota opts to move up in the draft once again, it’s likely that one of the following teams will be the trade partner:
– Washington Commanders with Pick No. 2
– New England Patriots with Pick No. 3
– Arizona Cardinals with Pick No. 4
– Los Angeles Chargers with Pick No. 5
The key question here is which team will provide Minnesota with a rookie quarterback, if any?
2. What will be the cost of the trade?
Ranked second on the list, the question of how much of the future will be leveraged in a trade becomes a crucial consideration for Minnesota on draft night.
Are the Vikings able to negotiate by offering “only” two 1st-Round picks from this draft, or does the other team require additional incentives such as this year’s 4th-Rounder? Alternatively, in a worst-case scenario, will Adofo-Mensah need to offer everything to the other team?
1.Who will be the quarterback?
The most pivotal question: uncovering the new quarterback’s identity.
Many fans have boiled down the options to a binary choice — Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Is this speculation accurate, or could Jayden Daniels see a drop in position? And what about the possibility of forgoing a trade and selecting Michael Penix Jr. from Washington?
After Kirk Cousins made his move to Atlanta, Vikings fans immediately shifted their focus to the draft, eager to discover who will be the quarterback for the team in the post-Kirk era.
They will receive a decision in precisely four weeks.
