The Minnesota Vikings have been gathering assets to make a move up in the draft for a quarterback, a move that was expected to trigger some cunning maneuvers from teams holding the top picks in the NFL draft.
Former Vikings linebacker turned analyst, Ben Leber, accused the New England Patriots of precisely that on Tuesday, April 2. “The recent public attraction the Patriots have to JJ McCarthy is nothing more than them driving up the price of the #3 spot,” Leber posted on X. The Vikings currently hold the No. 11 overall pick and acquired the No. 23 selection from the Houston Texans by trading multiple second-round picks, among other assets. Analysts like Field Yates of ESPN speculate that Minnesota might need or be willing to add a 2025 first-round pick to the mix to move into the top five and secure their desired quarterback.
“In Yates’ latest mock draft, he predicts the Vikings will make a deal with the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 5, rather than the Patriots at No. 3,” Leber noted. “Of course, moving up to the third pick would be much more beneficial to Minnesota for several reasons.”
Firstly, it would guarantee the Vikings one of the top four quarterback prospects in this year’s draft. However, if New England remains at No. 3 and selects their own quarterback, the Vikings risk losing out on the position altogether if another team trades up to the fourth pick. This potential scenario could also limit Minnesota’s options for selecting their preferred quarterback if they wait until the fifth pick.
Leber suggested that the Patriots may be smartly leveraging their position to extract maximum value from the Vikings. He pointed out that giving up three first-round picks to move up just six spots with the Chargers might be excessive, implying that the Patriots could be targeting a 2025 first-rounder instead. Alternatively, they may simply be seeking an additional Day-2 pick to enhance their draft capital.