NFL Draft Rumors: New Details On Vikings’ Trade Offer To Patriots

The Vikings landed a top-level quarterback in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but maybe not the one they wanted the most.

Minnesota was heavily speculated to be a trade-up team last weekend in Detroit. Kevin O’Connell and company did ultimately move up on Day 1, but only one spot — from No. 11 to No. 10 — to select Michigan signal-caller J.J. McCarthy.

The Vikings might have had eyes for Drake Maye, however. Minnesota held trade talks with New England in the lead-up to the draft, but the Patriots reportedly never came close to moving off the No. 3 overall pick. In a column published Tuesday morning, ESPN’s Mike Reiss shed light on the offer the Vikings sent to New England before the sides moved off negotiations.

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“The Vikings were ultimately willing to part with No. 11 and No. 23, along with a 2025 first-rounder, in exchange for the third pick and two mid-round selections from New England,” Reiss wrote.

The Patriots likely rebuffed the Vikings for multiple reasons. First and foremost, New England appears to love Maye, who has a chance to help turn things around in Foxboro, Mass., and keep the franchise in contender status for years to come. The Patriots also might have preferred a different way of landing a second first-round pick, although they ultimately weren’t able to get back into Round 1.

New England deserves credit for resisting outside pressures and using a premium asset to address the most important position in sports. But it’s now on Maye to prove the Patriots were right to operate with such conviction.