STEELE SPORTS
Football season is still months away, but late April gives fans reason to don their jerseys and support their favorite team as the NFL Draft begins on April 25.
While it was difficult to say goodbye to Kirk Cousins as he leaves for a new chapter, what we must turn our attention to is how we’re going to rebuild at the sport’s most important position: quarterback.
With some potential superstar quarterback prospects sitting up at the top of draft lists, and the Vikings holding two first-round picks at No. 11 and 23, the obvious assumption in league circles is that the Vikings will look to trade draft picks to move up and snag the quarterback of our future.
With Caleb Williams seemingly untouchable as the first overall pick to Chicago, the most likely spots for the Vikings to move up would be somewhere in the pick No. 3-5 range depending on what package deal the team could put together.
New England owns the third pick and needs a quarterback as well – followed by Washington, also in desperate need of a quarterback, in the second spot – meaning that the first three picks could all but wipe the top prospects off the board before Minnesota can get to them.
Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy has been tied to the Vikings if they were to trade up to get him, but my head and heart are in a different place with respect to what I would like to see the Vikings pursue.
While McCarthy is an intriguing talent, I think the value that the Vikings could get for taking Washington’s Michael Penix in the back end of the first round is too much to pass up.
Not only could we keep both of our first-round picks in a loaded draft class, but we could actually use our No. 11 pick to draft a defensive player, giving defensive coordinator Brian Flores even more ammunition for his rebuild.
An edge rusher or corner would make sense, and quite honestly, I’m letting general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah go whatever route he chooses here because of how well he is arranging this team.
However, I think pick No. 23 is where we have to secure the future.
Penix proved to be a stud this past season with NCAA Playoff runner-up Washington and according to league sources, the Vikings held a private workout with Penix earlier this month where they had him make nearly 100 different throws.
The interest is there, and so is the athleticism.
Penix is undeniably one of the draft’s most elite arm talents, but his athleticism also translates to his legs.
At his Washington pro day, Penix ran a 4.4 40-yard dash time that turned heads.
Arm talent and mobility are a mix I can get behind.
That being said, Penix’s one knock is that he is injury prone.
Multiple ACL injuries in college are surely something the Vikings are evaluating as well; however, I think the value at No. 23 is worth the risk.
Draft day 2024 is sure to be a wild one, so make sure to tune in.