Beat Reporter Predicts Vikings Add 1st Round Pick in 2024 NFL Draft; Take QB of the Future
The Minnesota Vikings have been heavily connected to quarterbacks in 2024 NFL Draft rumors. With the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis now drawing closer, mock drafts are becoming more prevalent including a recent projection by a VIkings’ beat reporter.
Related: How Byron Murphy II fits with the Minnesota Vikings
Previewing Minnesota’s offseason, Alec Lewis of The Athletic released his first team-specific 2024 NFL mock draft of the winter. While. he didn’t have the Vikings trading up into the top 5 for a quarterback, he did come away filling huge needs for Minnesota and swinging two trades.
Recent mock draft has Minnesota Vikings wheeling and dealing
With the 11th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Lewis had the Vikings select Texas Longhorns defensive tackle Byron Murphy II. One of the early risers in the pre-draft process, Minnesota has already been connected to the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year with reports of interest from the Vikings front office.
As Lewis explains in his Vikings mock draft, Murphy would add much-needed help to the defensive interior and he fits the profile of what defensive coordinator Brian Flores wants in the trenches. While Murphy is underside (6-foot-1), he makes up for it with explosiveness. As Lewis notes, Minnesota last spent a first-round pick on a defensive tackle in 2013 (Sharrif Floyd).
After that pick is where things get interesting. Recognizing the team’s long-term uncertainty at quarterback, Lewis had the Vikings trade back into Round 1 for quarterback Bo Nix. It came at the cost of the 42nd overall pick, a 2024 fourth-round selection and a third-round pick in 2025.
Related: Minnesota Vikings report reveals team’s interest in 2024 QB class
Nix, an NCAA record-setter with the Oregon Ducks, has a wide draft range but the general consensus seems to be that he could be taken at the end of Round 1. In Lewis’ scenario, Minnesota lands its quarterback of the future without sacrificing its first- or second-round picks in 2025.
Lewis later has Minnesota package multiple Day 3 picks to move up in Round 5 to add an intriguing linebacker to the middle of Flores’ defense. While mock drafts are generally just a fun exercise, Lewis’ piece provides insight into one way Minnesota can reshape its roster through the NFL Draft.
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