NFL Draft: What will the Vikings do in the first round?
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The NFL Draft starts Thursday with the first round, and it could mark one of the most important nights in the tenure of Minnesota Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
The Vikings go into the first round with two picks, at Nos. 11 and 23. Whether they end the night with two players is anyone’s guess. The consensus going into Thursday night as that the Vikings will package their two first round picks, and possibly future assets, to move up into the top-five of the draft to get what they hope is their next franchise quarterback.
Multiple reports leading up to Thursday night’s first round suggest that the Vikings are making a bid to get the No. 3 pick from the New England Patriots, with the intention of getting North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. If the price is too high, they could try to get to No. 5 for Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
If the Vikings stay at Nos. 11 and 23, the scenario exists that they go after the best defensive player available, and get either Bo Nix or Michael Penix Jr. at No. 23. The Vikings have nine total picks in this year’s NFL Draft. They don’t currently have a second round pick, as that was traded to the Houston Texans to get the No. 23 overall pick.
They have one fourth round pick, two fifth round picks, a sixth round pick and two seventh round selections.
It’s been an offseason of change for the Vikings, who saw Kirk Cousins, Danielle Hunter and Jordan Hicks depart in free agency. They cut Alexander Mattison, and signed Aaron Jones. They’ve also added defensive talent in Minnesota native Blake Cashman, Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Shaq Griffin, Kamu Grugier-Hill and quarterback Sam Darnold in free agency. Whether Darnold starts Week 1 depends on if the Vikings get their quarterback in the draft.
FOX 9 has you covered with complete coverage leading up to the first round of the NFL Draft.