The 2024 NFL Draft is almost here, just one month away. With the big three days closing in and free agency, teams are becoming fully focused on the draft. For the Minnesota Vikings, they’ve geared up for a big draft and might be in the quarterback market. What did head coach Kevin O’Connell have to say?
Kevin O’Connell Shares That Justin Jefferson Is in on Vikings QB Plans
As of March 25, the Vikings hold two first-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft: Nos. 11 and 23. In addition to that, they have seven more picks in later rounds. As a result, the Vikings hold the tools to make a trade for a quarterback, likely inside the top five.
However, while getting a quarterback is important, so is keeping superstar Justin Jefferson happy. O’Connell shared that he’s had regular check-ins with Jefferson and that he’s “excited” about potentially contributing to mentoring a young quarterback.
“Needing to know and being a part of a collaborative process, which Justin is, are two different things,” O’Connell said. “I’ve felt very strongly about keeping him informed. He’s been in the loop. He’s been aware. He’s allowed to articulate things to me via our relationship, and that’s really been through this whole process.”
If the Vikings are to select a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft, it will be Jefferson’s first new quarterback, excluding those who filled in for Kirk Cousins’ injury in 2023. Cousins signed with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency in March 2024.
“Justin did step into a leadership role last year. He became a first-time captain,” O’Connell said. “I think he’s excited about that, what that means for him moving forward, really being a pillar of leadership in our organization, and that’s how I treat him.”
“That’s how our conversations and our communication go, and I think the quarterback position, the path that we’re going to go, I think he’s excited about getting to spend some time and work with Sam [Darnold] in addition to our other quarterbacks, and then what this could look like to maybe be a part of helping mentor a young quarterback.”
While the Vikings could stick at No. 11 and pick, if they want to get one of the top four guys, they’ll likely need to make a move up with the capital they have. However, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has said that “there’s a preferred scenario” for how the draft will play out.
“There’s a lot that goes into that,” O’Connell said of trading up. “We need another team to be complicit in that action to go get one of those guys if that ends up being the plan. But I am excited to kind of see this process through and see if we can potentially add our quarterback in the future to that room.”
Will Justin Jefferson Remain in Minnesota Beyond 2024?
Now, Jefferson will be in Minnesota in 2024 for the potential rookie season of a quarterback they may draft. However, what does his future look like beyond that?
After being drafted 22nd overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, Jefferson signed a four-year, $13.1 million deal that was fully guaranteed and included a fifth-year option, which the Vikings picked up. As a result, Jefferson will be playing on that $19.7 million option in 2024. He is set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2025.
While he is a pending free agent after the 2024 season, Jefferson and the Vikings will look to come to terms on a new deal. While many in his position would be impatient, Jefferson has been the opposite. According to ESPN, a new deal for Jefferson could exceed $30 million per year, an NFL record.
The only receiver currently making $30 million per year is Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who is on a four-year, $120 million deal. With Jefferson only being 25, going on 26, his deal should top Hill’s by a good bit.
What QBs Could the Vikings Target?
The 2024 NFL Draft is a strong quarterback class, especially at the top. While the Vikings won’t get USC’s Caleb Williams, who is likely to go No. 1 to the Chicago Bears, they should still have plenty of options. Those options include UNC’s Drake Maye, LSU’s Jayden Daniels, Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, and more.
Considering the Vikings have the 11th pick, they will need to get inside the top four picks if they want to guarantee themselves one of those four. They will also await the decisions of the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots at Nos. 2 and 3, with both teams in need of a quarterback themselves.
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There are still options if the Vikings don’t get one of those top four. Beyond the top guys, there’s also Oregon’s Bo Nix, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., and South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler, who could all go. Nix and Penix could range from Round 1-2 while Rattler could go anywhere from Rounds 2-4, or maybe even later.
According to PFN Draft Analyst Ian Cummings, the quarterbacks are ranked in order of Williams, Maye, Daniels, McCarthy, Nix, Penix, and Rattler. The top six are all ranked within the top 35 with Rattler a bit later at No. 102.
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