Vikings rumored to attempt trade for Patriots for No. 3 draft pick
The Vikings acquired more first round draft capital Friday, positioning themselves to make a bid for the Patriots' No. 3 overall pick.
So far this offseason, the Patriots’ draft strategy has gone according to plan.
New England cut ties with Mac Jones Monday, shortly after the free agency tampering period began, swiftly replacing him with former Patriots QB Jacoby Brissett.
The move positions the team well to draft a young quarterback with their No. 3 overall pick next month. That is unless de facto GM Eliot Wolf and new coach Jerod Mayo manage to convince owner Robert Kraft to trade down in the draft in exchange for more picks.
A decision by Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Friday — one that trades Minnesota’s 42nd and 188th overall picks to the Houston Texans in exchange for the No. 23 and No. 232 — might pave the way for a new Patriots draft strategy.
The departure of Kirk Cousins to Atlanta was countered by Minnesota signing 49ers backup quarterback Sam Darnold. While Adofo-Mensah refused to call Darnold a “bridge quarterback,” experts say the team is looking to draft a top-tier QB to the franchise this year.
CBS Sports senior NFL columnist Pete Prisco suggested Friday that the Vikings could be targeting North Carolina’s Drake Maye or Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. A report by the Athlete’s Alec Lewis following the NFL combine only added fuel to the fire. According to Lewis, new Minnesota quarterbacks coach Josh McCown “adores” Maye, having coached the top prospect when he was a student at Myers Park High School.
Maye is expected to be a top 5 pick, leaving Minnesota out of contention to scoop him up in the draft. Unless Adofo-Mensah can convince Kraft to trade.
The Athletic’s Dave Brugler laid out a roadmap for the deal. “The first call for the Vikings is to the Patriots to offer picks No. 11, No. 23 and another sweetner for the No. 3 overall pick,” Brugler wrote in a post on X. “Then it becomes a Robert Kraft decision.”
Armed with the No. 11 and 23 first round picks — along with a handful of later round options — the Vikings could offer a compelling package to the Patriots ahead of April 15.
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