Vikings Trade Proposal Nets Minnesota $262.5 Million QB
As the NFL draft approaches, the chances the Minnesota Vikings can trade up for a quarterback appear to be growing slimmer. But there are other ways to land a franchise player.
The New England Patriots wants three first-round draft picks and more for the third overall pick, while the odds that the Los Angles Chargers select a quarterback themselves at No. 5 have shot up from 1% to 14%, per ESPN sports betting analyst Joe Fortenbaugh.
“Prop: Chargers to draft a QB with their FIRST pick: Market open: 100/1, Yesterday: 15/1, Today: 6/1,” Fortenbaugh posted to X on Tuesday, April 23.
If the Chargers are interested in selecting a quarterback in the draft, thereby resetting the contract clock at the position, that would indicate a high likelihood that the team will also pursue a trade involving their current signal-caller Justin Herbert.
Los Angeles is the team that Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates of ESPN have both long predicted would be the eventual trade partner for the Vikings to move into the top five. Most draft scenarios mocked by experts like Kiper and Yates, including their most recent join mock on April 15, have QBs Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye coming off the board in some order to the Chicago Bears (No. 1), Washington Commanders (No.2) and either the Patriots or a trade partner (No. 3).
Assuming the Chargers want a quarterback at No. 5, the most likely scenario is that new head coach Jim Harbaugh selects J.J. McCarthy, as the two just captured a National Title together for the University of Michigan in January. That would presumably remove all remaining incentive for the Vikings to trade up for a quarterback, leaving them with two choices — draft a player like Bo Nix of Oregon or Michael Penix Jr. of Washington at either No. 11 or No. 23, or put together a trade offer for Herbert.
