The Vikings’ first big move of the post-Kirk Cousins era came in the form of an asset swap.
Ten days after landing a second first-round pick (along with a seventh-round selection) in the upcoming 2024 draft, Minnesota stands in an interesting position. They could — as many expect — package their two first-rounders (Nos. 11 and 23) to move up to select a quarterback. Or, as head coach Kevin O’Connell explained Monday at the Annual League Meeting, they could use both to add blue-chip talent from a class he believes is loaded with it.
“I think you view it as extra flexibility in a draft where between our pick at 11 and the way we’re looking at this draft at pick 23, we think there’s going to be some really good players available, if we were just to stay at those positions and take players, maybe a quarterback, maybe a couple defensive players,” O’Connell said on Monday’s The Insiders, wisely keeping his target range vague while on the record.
“I think it’s going to be a big-time offensive draft at the top, so when those marquee defensive players start to go, could be in a range around that 11th pick for us, but I think it was about flexibility.”
If you read that and came away feeling as if you’d learned little about Minnesota’s draft strategy, you’re not alone. O’Connell isn’t about to show his team’s hand and give up leverage in a potential deal to move up to take a quarterback, so he’ll play up the strengths of the class without naming specifics.
It was intriguing, though, to hear O’Connell admit the trade-up scenario is very much a possibility, provided they find a party interested in doing business with them.
“Yes, we want to, if we identify a player that we would like to go up and try to add to our football team — first and foremost, there’s got to be a willing partner to do that and I think there’s going to be processes that play out, conversations here and onto the future,” O’Connell continued
“We’ll figure out if we’re able to do that, but yeah, I think it was ultimately of having the flexibility of having two ones in what we think is a really strong draft, and I don’t think we’re the only ones that view this draft like that.”
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