New insights into Vikings' draft situation, pursuit of L'Jarius Sneed

Vikings, other teams being told no to trades by the Bears, Commanders and Patriots?

If the Vikings have attempted to trade into the top three of the NFL Draft, they may have been met with "polite no's" from the Bears, Commanders and Patriots. 

That's the word from Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer. 

"That doesn’t mean that can’t change. It’s possible we get closer to the draft, and the Patriots decide they like one of the non–Caleb Williams quarterbacks. If that guy isn’t there, and they don’t see the others being worth a third pick, they could be willing to move the pick while they’re on the clock," Breer wrote in his Thursday mailbag. "But for right now, it seems less likely that a trade into the top three will be there for the Vikings, which presumably would mean no Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels for Minnesota, with at least the perception those two are going Nos. 2 and 3, in some order."

Williams, Daniels and Maye are projected by most to be the first three players taken in the draft on April 25. If that's the case, there could be a bidding war for the No. 4 pick, which is owned by the Arizona Cardinals. 

Cardinals General Manager Monti Ossenfort said Thursday he's receiving more and more calls from teams inquiring about the No. 4 pick. If the Williams, Daniels and Maye do go in the first three picks, the Vikings trading up to No. 4 would likely mean they're targeting quarterback J.J. McCarthy. 

Another team that is reportedly interested in McCarthy is the New York Giants, who hold the No. 6 pick but also have Daniel Jones on a monster contract and just brought in Drew Lock at quarterback. McCarthy visited the Giants recently and had dinner with front office personnel, according to Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz. 

Asked in his mailbag if the race to McCarthy is between the Vikings and Giants, Breer answered: "I think the Giants are considering drafting a quarterback either at No. 6 or as part of a trade up into the top four. My feeling is the Vikings are going to actively try to move into the upper reaches of the draft. And those two approaches are pretty different."

Side note: Buried in Breer's mailbag was his answer to a question about the current situation involving Chiefs franchise-tagged cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, who is on the trade market. He wrote: "Chiefs, the Vikings, Detroit Lions, and Indianapolis Colts were the three teams in early on him. I’d say Detroit is less likely now after the trade for Carlton Davis, but the other two are lingering in the picture, and there’s no real urgency now to get something done."

Breer thinks the Sneed trade talks could "heat up" before the draft. 

Oct 8, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Brandon Powell (4) catches a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed (38) in the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium / Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports