Which quarterback prospect the Minnesota Vikings are hoping to select in the 2024 NFL Draft raises a plethora of issues.
Nevertheless, the majority of the fundamental queries are either (a) impossible for anyone to answer or (b) difficult for anyone to respond outside of the Vikings battle room.
And there’s one basic question that keeps coming up, mostly because there is no way to answer it. It centers around Kevin O’Connell, the head coach of the Vikings, rather than the available quarterbacks. Regardless of the quarterback selected in the first round—Jaden Daniels (LSU), Drake Maye (UNC), JJ McCarthy (Michigan), Michael Penix Jr. (Washington), or Bo Nix (Oregon)—Minnesota has been deemed the greatest place for a quarterback to land.
Which quarterback prospect the Minnesota Vikings are hoping to select in the 2024 NFL Draft raises a plethora of issues. Nevertheless, the majority of the fundamental queries are either (a) unanswerable by anyone or (b) unanswerable by anybody not present in the Vikings war room.
And there’s one basic question that keeps coming up, mostly because there is no way to answer it. It centers around Kevin O’Connell, the head coach of the Vikings, rather than the available quarterbacks. It has been said that Minnesota is the greatest place for any quarterback selected in the first round of the draft to land, regardless of the quarterback’s position—Jaden Daniels of LSU, Drake Maye of UNC, JJ McCarthy of Michigan, Michael Penix Jr. of Washington, or Bo Nix of Oregon.
Why? The depth chart, of course, is the first step. In addition to having maybe the finest young tackle duo in the NFL in Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw, Minnesota boasts one of the top WR1/WR2 combinations in football with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
When he recovers from his injury, add veteran pro bowl tight end TJ Hockenson and the recently acquired Aaron Jones to the backfield. And good luck in trying to locate a quarterback in the center of that offense who wouldn’t mind being dumped. But it’s not just about the tools their rookie quarterback will have in Minnesota; according to the league, head coach Kevin O’Connell may be the best young QB whisperer out there.
In all of American professional sports, the most fundamentally important “chicken or egg” question centers on what is most important for a young quarterback’s growth. Which counts more—a quarterback’s skill, work ethic, and intelligence alone, or the circumstances surrounding his selection choice?
Because those who think the latter will always prevail over the former, regardless of the draftee’s circumstances, may have quite different ideas on how the Minnesota Vikings should approach the 2024 NFL Draft.
