With murmurs that the New York Giants could become players in pursuing a top-four quarterback in this year’s draft, the Minnesota Vikings have upped the ante.
ESPN’s Giants beat reporter Jordan Raanan reported on April 7 that “it seems more likely by the day that four of the top five picks end up being quarterbacks, especially with the Minnesota Vikings — who own the No. 11 pick — having made it clear in league circles that they are serious about landing one of the top quarterbacks.”
The Giants have shown significant interest in LSU’s Jayden Daniels, Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy and North Carolina’s Drake Maye, which could warrant New York attempting to trade up from the No. 6 spot in the draft if their choice quarterback falls past the Washington Commanders with the No. 2 pick.
The New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals, No. 3 and No. 4 in the first round, respectively, are candidates who could be willing to trade back to a team eager to take the third or fourth quarterbacks in this year’s draft class.
The Vikings, who hold the No. 11 pick after a 7-10 season, acquired the No. 23 pick in a trade with the Houston Texans — positioning themselves to offer the most lucrative trade package that would include two first-round picks in this year’s draft.
However, if Arizona or New England doesn’t have the appetite to trade back outside the top 10 in this year’s draft, the Giants’ offer could be more enticing.
New York will have to overpay — likely the cost of a future first-round pick to swap spots. It could be argued that if the Vikings offer both their 2024 firsts and a future first-round pick their trade partner could trade back into the top 10 — rendering the Giants’ advantage obsolete.
