The Vikings are stacking first-rounders.
Minnesota has secured a second first-round selection ahead of April’s 2024 NFL Draft, agreeing to terms with the Houston Texans on Friday for the No. 23 overall pick, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.
The Vikings, currently owners of the No. 11 pick, also added a seventh-rounder (No. 232) while the Texans collected picks No. 42 and No. 188 and a 2025 second-rounder.
Minnesota, which lost veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Falcons in free agency, could be looking to slide further up the draft board, possibly using a package of first-round picks to make a move to get a QB.
The Bears hold the top pick in this year’s draft and are widely projected to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams while the quarterback-needy Commanders and Patriots select second and third, respectively.
The Cardinals select fourth followed by the Chargers with No. 5 and the Giants sixth.
North Carolina’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels are among the premier prospects in this year’s class.
J.J. McCarthy, fresh off a national championship with the Michigan Wolverines, is also an intriguing quarterback option.
Should the Vikings be looking to move up to snag a quarterback (i.e. McCarthy), they may have to leapfrog the Giants to do so.
The Giants, who signed Daniel Jones to a long-term contract last offseason, could be in the mix for McCarthy, while general manager Joe Schoen said at last month’s NFL Scouting Combine that the team isn’t ruling anything out with the No. 6 pick.
Jones is coming off a torn ACL and has been plagued with injuries throughout his career.
The Vikings added insurance this week with former 49ers quarterback Sam Darnold.
Minnesota had Cousins under center for the past six seasons.
The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft gets underway Thursday, April 25.