Vikings Trade Up For Surprise Quarterback in CBS Sports Mock Draft

This...would be quite the shocking outcome.

Jan 8, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) against the Michigan Wolverines / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

A new mock draft from CBS Sports' R.J. White breaks the consensus mold and gets pretty chaotic in its predictions for how this quarterback class will play out. It certainly wouldn't be the ideal scenario for the Vikings, who are preparing for every possibility.

In White's mock, Drake Maye goes second to the Commanders, J.J. McCarthy goes third to the Patriots, and Jayden Daniels surprisingly falls to the fourth pick, with the Giants moving up from six to get him. That means the Vikings strike out on the top four QBs. Then, instead of waiting until 11 or 23 to take Michael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix, the Vikings trade up to the Falcons' No. 8 pick and take Penix.

"So the Vikings get shut out of the quarterback party with all four going in the first four picks. What do they do? They still need a quarterback and positioned themselves to take one in this draft by trading for No. 23. Maybe they sit at No. 11 and decide to go with Penix, who has generated more and more buzz as a first-round pick and potentially a high one despite his age and questionable medical history (though he checked out fine at the combine). But with Denver and Vegas right behind them itching for a QB, can they risk either beating them to the punch in a trade up and then go to Plan C? Unlikely. So they send No. 11 and 23 to Atlanta for No. 8 and 43. It's entirely possible the Penix buzz ends up like the Levis buzz, but I'll risk it."

This would be a pretty shocking outcome. Not only do the Vikings miss out on the top four QBs, but they trade up three spots for QB5, dropping back from 23 to 43 in the process. The end result of this trade, combined with the deal the Vikings made with the Texans, would essentially be Minnesota giving up their 2025 second-rounder to move up for Penix (given that they started with the 42nd pick in this draft and end up with 43 in this scenario). That doesn't feel like a great look for Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Maybe Penix ends up thriving in the NFL, but his age, injury history, and inconsistent tape have caused many analysts to give him a Day 2 grade despite his obvious arm talent.

If the Vikings do happen to miss out on the top four quarterbacks, you'd imagine they either take Penix/Nix at 11 or take one of their top defensive players at 11 and see if Penix/Nix make it to 23. There could be trades in either direction as part of that process, but it would be very surprising to see the Vikings move up for a quarterback that isn't Maye, McCarthy, or Daniels.

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