Elite quarterbacks highlight draft, and high-level duel between Patriots and Vikings may serve as focal point
After weeks of hyperbole and theorizing what will happen on Draft Night, the big event is finally at hand. Commissioner Roger Goodell will go to the lectern in Detroit on Thursday night and introduce the next generation of potential NFL stars to the nation.
The Chicago Bears have been in control of this offseason and they have set the stage for the introduction of their next quarterback. They have the first pick in the draft and while they traded that pick away last year, they will not do that this time around.
General manager Ryan Poles has not made it official, but the Bears will select Caleb Williams of USC with that top pick. The belief is that he will be the signal caller that leads the team out of the abyss and makes sure that the Bears that makes the playoffs and eventually can make a run at the NFC Championship on a consistent basis.
They clearly have not had that quarterback in generations, even though they are the oldest franchise in the history of the league. Jim McMahon was a confident and cocky quarterback who played a huge role for the only Bears Super Bowl champion in team history, but the 1985 Bears were led by the best defense the NFL has ever seen when they won Super Bowl XX by a 46-10 margin over the New England Patriots.
The truth is that the team’s best all-time quarterback was Sid Luckman, who played for the Bears from 1939 through 1950. Bill Belichick was born two years after Luckman’s last game. The legendary Chicago quarterback was the dear friend of NFL founder and Bears owner George Halas. Luckman is part of the NFL’s ancient history.
All this means is that there will be a ton of pressure on Williams when he takes the field for head coach Matt Eberflus. He is clearly expected to become the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL’s flagship franchise.
Patriots and Vikings will engage in a hard-core hand of NFL poker
This is one of the greatest quarterback drafts in NFL history. The proof will eventually come in the performance of the quarterbacks on the field — as was the case in the great QB class of 1983. John Elway, Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, Tony Eason, Ken O’Brien and Todd Blackledge were all drafted in the first round, and Elway, Marino and Kelly became Hall of Famers.
There are six elite quarterbacks in this draft as well. In addition to Williams, Jayden Daniels of LSU, Drake Maye of North Carolina, J.J. McCarthy of Michigan, Michael Penix of Washington and Bo Nix are top of the line performers.
All six are likely go in the first round, although there is a chance Nix may slide to the second. Daniels seems like a solid fit for the Washington Commanders with the No. 2 pick, and it’s a selection that makes sense. Washington owner Josh Harris wants his franchise to project stability, and the belief within the organization is that Daniels can help the Commanders do just that.
But the drama will begin with the No. 3 pick in the draft. The New England Patriots — suddenly without Belichick running the show — also need a quarterback. However, director of scouting Eliot Wolf has said that the pick is “in play.”
He is inviting offers from teams that also need quarterbacks to make it worth to the Patriots to trade the pick. Wolf wants a trade partner to give the Patriots a huge treasure trove of draft picks — known as the bag — to move up and select their quarterback of choice.
Several teams need quarterbacks badly, but perhaps none more than the Minnesota Vikings. Former quarterback Kirk Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons, so the Vikings need their quarterback of the future — and perhaps the present.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell liked and respected Cousins, but they did not believe he was worth the long-term deal he got from the Falcons. The Vikings signed veteran Sam Darnold as a placeholder, but nobody expects him to turn the franchise around.
The quarterback the Vikings want is Maye, a brilliant prospect who has been associated with Minnesota quarterbacks coach Josh McCown for years. McCown coached Maye when he was at Myers Park (N.C.) High School in 2019 and the two have a wonderful rapport and a great history.
The Vikings have the No. 11 and 23 picks in the first round, and they would almost certainly be happy to trade those picks to the Patriots so they could select Maye. It may not be enough.
Wolf wants to make an NFL splash, while Adofo-Mensah wants to maintain control
Both Wolf and Adofo-Mensah have made their position clear. Wolf is hoping that the Vikings are in love with Maye to the point that they will overpay for him. If they can get the Vikings to offer the two first-round picks they have this year, another first-rounder in 2025 and another future selection, they can select another quarterback and also have the draft capital to gain ground in the AFC East.
Perhaps they could select McCarthy or Penix, and then Wolf could be as proud as a peacock by getting his huge draft haul.
Adofo-Mensah has to know exactly what is happening throughout the draft. Teams like the New York Giants, Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders are also in the market for a first-round quarterback. None of those teams are in an equal starting position to the Vikings with two first-round picks to trade. The Arizona Cardinals also have two first-round picks — No. 5 and 27 — but they don’t appear to need a quarterback since they have Kyler Murray.
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“Both of these men want to make a big splash for their franchise,” said one former AFC executive. “The Vikings need a quarterback, while the Patriots need a quarterback and have a chance to add key picks. I think those two teams will engage with each other. Does that mean a big deal will be made? It seems like a strong possibility.”
When Wolf and Adolfo-Mensah get down to the critical moments of when a trade happens, the Vikings boss can’t allow himself to be bullied into giving up draft capital that he may not have to. He has to have a great idea of what the other QB-needy teams are willing to offer the Patriots.
Adofo-Mensah has to know all that going into the draft and he has to be sure of himself. If that means hanging up on Wolf as his demands ratchet up, that’s just what he has to do until the final moments before the pick can be made.
Wolf knows the Vikings need a quarterback and they want Maye. Adofo-Mensah knows that the Patriots want a huge haul so Wolf can make a big splash as he runs his first draft.
One of those general managers is going to blink and make the ideal move for the franchise. Both will claim victory and that they received the players and possibly the additional draft picks they wanted all along.
Call it a high-powered poker hand, chess match or game of chicken. The Draft Night battle is at hand.
