NEWSLETTER
Jayden Daniels watch is ON.
Unless something wildly unpredictable happens between now and April 25, the Chicago Bears will select USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. But what happens after that is anyone’s guess.
From what I’ve gathered to this point in the pre-draft process, four quarterbacks could go off the board within the first five picks. One of those signal callers could be Jayden Daniels. The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner would have a strong case to be QB1 in a draft class that didn’t include Caleb Williams. Nevertheless, Daniels figures to be taken early in the first round. And even though we don’t know which team will snag the LSU product, we know there is no shortage of suitors — including one Chicago Bears rival:
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reports the Minnesota Vikings have set up a private meeting with Jayden Daniels. You wouldn’t think the Vikings could draft Daniels because the expectation is that he would be long gone by the time Minnesota goes on the clock with the No. 11 pick. However, there has been ample buzz surrounding the possibility of the Vikes trading up to take a quarterback. I imagine it would be a hefty trade-up price to move from where they are to get where Daniels will go in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Why are the Vikings meeting with LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels?
Depending on who your favorite mock draft writer happens to be on a given day, quarterbacks Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and J.J. McCarthy are interchangeable in the 2-5 spots in the draft. So even though I find it to be unlikely that the Vikings could successfully swing a trade up to draft Daniels, it never hurt anyone to do their due diligence on a prospect.
For what it’s worth, Matt Rooney’s latest Bleacher Nation NFL mock draft has the Washington Commanders taking Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick. In other words, the Minnesota would have to send a huge haul to Washington in a trade-up just to move the needle. I don’t see it happening, but I won’t rule it out.
Who knows? Maybe Jayden is *NOT* a lock to go No. 2. Perhaps all Minnesota needs to do is concoct a trade-up with the New England Patriots (3rd pick), Arizona Cardinals (4th pick), or Los Angeles Chargers (6th pick) in order to get Daniels. Anything is possible, even if everything isn’t probable.
For me, I think it is worth keeping tabs on (1) where Jayden Daniels lands in the NFL Draft and (2) what the Minnesota Vikings end up doing at the quarterback position. There has been much speculation surrounding the Vikings as a team with an interest in moving up from the No. 11 pick. Armed with two first-round picks (Nos. 11 and 23), Minnesota certainly has the ammo to move up. Wouldn’t it be something if the Vikings emptied a treasure chest of picks to draft a quarterback who didn’t pan out? That would be a best-case scenario for NFC North fans who enjoy a good case of schadenfreude. You know … fans like me.
Better yet, what if the Vikings can’t trade up because teams like the quarterbacks on the board more than whatever offer Minnesota can put on the table. Remember, it takes two to tango. And if the Vikes can’t find a willing trade partner, they could be left holding the bag. If that is how the cookie crumbles, then the Vikings will be stuck rolling out Sam Darnold as their QB1 in 2024. What an experience that would be!
