Forbes: Josh McCown, Vikings Focused on Trade Up for Drake Maye

The NFL Draft is still over 25 days away but that hasn’t stopped reports from surfacing throughout the media world that have the Minnesota Vikings, or a plethora of other teams, already set on who they will take with their 1st round pick(s).

For the Vikings, those reports (more often than not) include a trade into the top-5, where they take their next franchise quarterback. We’ve seen them closely connected to QBs No. 2 thru No. 4 on the draft board. For those who haven’t been paying attention, that means Jayden Daniels (LSU), Drake Maye (UNC) and JJ McCarthy (Michigan).

Minnesota Vikings targeting Drake Maye?

On Easter Sunday, Forbes jumped into the Vikings’ draft plan royal rumble. According to longtime NFL reporter (30 years and 6 books, according to his Forbes bio) Steve Silverman, Minnesota is targeting Josh McCown’s high school protege, Drake Maye.

The Vikings appear to be focusing on [Drake] Maye at this point. New quarterbacks coach Josh McCown has a long history with Maye, as he provided advice after watching Maye’s game film as a schoolboy quarterback at Myers Park (North Carolina) High School.

Steve Silverman – Forbes

Now, as you read this article, you start to wonder if Steve’s information might be coming from someone close to Vikings new QB coach, Josh McCown. The article focuses on Josh and his relationship with Maye, while the Carolina kid was throwing 50 touchdowns and 2 interceptions as a senior at Myers Park.

Not only that, but Steve makes it a point to tell readers that his article is not guaranteeing Drake Maye as the Vikings’ pick. He can’t promise that, he writes. Why? Because he doesn’t know if that’s who Kevin O’Connell wants.

Josh McCown targeting Drake Maye?

Instead, Steve focuses on McCown’s love for Maye and makes it feel like, if it were his decision, that’s who the Minnesota Vikings would draft. But, as Silverman notes, it’s not Josh McCown’s call.

Related: Insider Believes Vikings Used NFL League Meetings to Send Message to Patriots at No. 3

It’s head coach Kevin O’Connell who will make the final decision on who the Vikings’ No. 1 target is on April 25. Then, it will be up to general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to TRY and make it happen. But neither of those two steps are a guarantee, when it comes to Drake Maye.

The long-standing relationship between [Drake Maye and Josh McCown] does not assure the Vikings will trade up and draft Maye, but it represents a strong possibility. Of course, the quarterback coach does not make the final call. Head coach Kevin O’Connell has to be on board, and his greatest strength is his ability to work with quarterbacks. After O’Connell is on board, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has to decide if making a deal to get to the No. 2 spot is worth it.

Steve Silverman – Forbes

The report goes on to note that the Vikings will likely have to include a 2025 1st-round pick, in order to make their way up to No. 2, which is where they will have to get, in order to guarantee they land Maye.

Will it take the Vikings’ 2025 1st round pick (plus No. 11 and 23 in 2024) to land Drake Maye? If so, does Kevin O’Connell believe Maye is worth an additional 1st rounder, compared to JJ McCarthy. If not, conventional wisdom says the Vikings should keep their 2025 1st and draft JJ McCarthy at No. 4 or 5, after trading up with either Arizona or LAC.

Related: ESPN Suggests Vikings Upgraded at EDGE by Signing Jonathan Greenard over Danielle Hunter

In a recent Boston Globe piece, Ben Volin wrote about his belief that the Vikings were speaking indirectly to the New England Patriots at the NFL League Meetings; that the No 11 and No. 23 picks should be enough to move up to No. 3, which could indicate that KOC and KAM are not as willing to move off of that 2025 1st rounder as some may think.