Vikings GM sounds willing to make blockbuster draft trade

Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah sounds ready to package overall picks No. 11 and No. 23 of the 2024 NFL Draft in a trade that would allow Minnesota to move up in the draft order and select a potential long-term replacement for current Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins.

"Just because something is risky doesn't mean you have to stay away from it," Adofo-Mensah told reporters on Thursday, as shared by Nick Shook of the NFL's website. "It's something that is hard to grasp, but if you grasp it, you know what the rewards are, right? And that's something you have to weigh and measure." 

The Chicago Bears seem set on making USC Trojans star Caleb Williams the draft's first overall pick. Assuming the Washington Commanders select LSU Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels with the second choice as many expect, Minnesota could call the New England Patriots about the third pick and the right to draft either North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye or Michigan Wolverines signal-caller J.J. McCarthy.

New England reportedly wants "a lot more than" three first-round picks in return for No. 3. If Adofo-Mensah doesn't like that price, he could reach out to either the Arizona Cardinals at No. 4 or the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 5 and settle for whoever is on the board among the previously named signal-callers. With that said, the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos are allegedly "lurking for a quarterback" and could beat Minnesota in a race to get into the top five. 

The Vikings currently have veteran Sam Darnold as their QB1 and could start him over a supposed project such as Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix of the Oregon Ducks, both of whom should be available at pick No. 11. 

NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated noted on Wednesday that head coach Kevin O’Connell, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown offer the Vikings a "solid quarterbacking infrastructure" that could help somebody such as Penix or Nix succeed in time. If, however, a quarterback Adofo-Mensah "loves" gets to the draft's fourth pick, the executive could go all-in to land that prospect on the night of April 25. 

"I think our odds will be better than the margins," Adofo-Mensah added. "How good are those odds? I think it's still a pretty risky thing, but just because something's risky doesn't mean you're scared from it, you're scared of it — you just have to believe. It's uncertain, right? It's uncertain and we have to take our swing, but that doesn't give us any pause, I would say."