Exclusive on Vikings; Vikings Urged to Trade $13 Million Playmaker for Exciting Young QB
A day before Super Bowl Sunday, an ESPN report listed the Minnesota Vikings as a team that could land LSU quarterback and Heisman winner Jayden Daniels.
But how the Vikings got there may say more than Daniels’ prospects as a professional. The bar was set for a potential trade in the draft when the San Francisco 49ers offered three first-round picks in 2021 to acquire No. 3 Trey Lance.
The Vikings are one of several teams looking for their franchise quarterback of the future. If the Vikings offer a similar trade package with the 11th pick in this year’s draft, they may have to compete with the Atlanta Falcons, who would be favored with the 8th overall pick. If so, the Vikings could have another advantage and leapfrog the Falcons. Purple Insider’s Matthew Koller came up with the idea of moving to No. 3 giving the New England Patriots something they’ve lacked for years: a star receiver.
Not Justin Jefferson or Jordan Addison. “What if it was Jordan Addison?” I think so. As much as I love Addison and think she’s going to be a star, she deserves it. I think receiver no. 2 is replaceable,” Koller said on the Feb. 10 episode of the “Purple Insider” podcast. Koller asked for the next offer and was willing to offer Daniels in exchange for the third overall pick.
Jordan Addison
Not. 11th overall pick in the 2024 draft
Future first round pick
Future 2nd round pick
The Vikings have an opportunity to trade Jordan Addison.
Addison, the 23rd overall pick in the 2023 draft, had a rookie season with 70 receptions for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns, the most by a rookie since Randy Moss’ 1998 season. The Patriots offense needs a few more pieces before the perfect situation arises to add a rookie, and Addison could be one of those pieces at a position the Patriots have historically struggled to identify in the draft.
Addison enters the 2024 season at age 22, in the second year of his $13.73 million rookie contract, and will likely exercise his fifth-year contract option. That’s four seasons of a top-20 receiver prospect signing a newsworthy contract.
Addison is a valuable asset and parting ways with him would be a difficult decision for the Vikings front office. However, it could be the difference if the Vikings land a potential superstar to pair with Jefferson.
LSU QB Jaden Daniels has superstar potential.
The NFL has shown that not all first rounders are created equal. There’s a good primer on the top five picks and a slide show for the first round.
The Vikings could select a quarterback with the 11th overall pick, but that would be an upgrade from previous player drafts that disappointed fans. The Vikings have never taken a chance on a top-10 quarterback, and their return to a non-top-10 quarterback is disappointing.
Quarterback Christian Ponder, the 12th overall pick in the 2011 draft, did not sign a second contract in Minnesota. Teddy Bridgewater, the 32nd overall pick in 2014, has had a history plagued by foot injuries, but has become a role model for game managers. Selected 11th overall in 1999, Daunte Culpepper is the only quarterback taken in the first round since 1977. Second-tier quarterbacks have limitations or warning signs. Daniels, meanwhile, overcame doubts about his game to become a consensus top-five pick. A true dual threat who has drawn comparisons to Lamar Jackson, Daniels combines natural athleticism and arm strength with good mechanics to make his senior year. He led the nation with 4,946 yards and 50 touchdowns while being incredibly efficient. Although Daniels is no longer compared to contemporary Heisman finalists, he was one of the best players to win the award. His 94.7 ppg this season is tied with Joe Burrow among all Heisman winners. The best part is that the Vikings caught Daniels’ attention.
KSTP’s Darren Wolfson reports that Daniels wants to land in Minnesota in response to ESPN Insider Dan Graziano’s report that the combination of Daniels and Jefferson is “attractive” within the organization. Jefferson and Daniels were spotted together during Super Bowl week.
All the Vikings have to do is go get it.
