According to Ben Leber, that’s the Vikings’ most likely course of action right now.
Is Michael Penix, Jr. the quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings of the future? Ben Leber of KFAN believes so.
Speaking Thursday on Paul Allen’s 9-to-Noon podcast, the former linebacker for the Vikings asserts that, with Minnesota’s draft position of No. 11 and the possibility of Kirk Cousins being around for an additional two seasons, the Washington quarterback makes the most sense for Minnesota.
According to Leber, the three quarterbacks with the highest draft rankings—Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels—should go 1, 2, and 3. If Kirk Cousins signs a two-year contract with the Vikings prior to the selection, it should be interpreted as an indication that the Vikings do not plan to trade up for any of these players.
Penix Jr., Oregon’s Bo Nix, Michigan’s JJ McCarthy, and other second-tier quarterbacks are more likely to catch their eye. Leber believes the Vikings will target Penix.
Jan. 1, 2024; New Orleans, LA, USA: In the 2024 Sugar Bowl college football playoff semifinal game at Caesars Superdome, Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) rushes the ball against the Texas Longhorns during the fourth quarter.
John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports is credited.
But instead of selecting him at number eleven, which he believes is a stretch, he believes the most likely course of action is for the Vikings to choose for need at number eleven (hey, defensive line!) and then trade back into the second part of the first round.
“They’re not going to move up if they sign Kirk to a two-year deal,” Allen was told. “My assumption is that we’ll select a quarterback in the top two picks, but it’s unlikely to happen at number eleven because you’ll overdraft. Instead, you’ll likely select the fourth-best quarterback later in the round, as the top three players will go in the first three spots.
“If my money is on the absolute bet now it’s we’re getting back into the late 1st round to take Penix,” he said.
Penix Jr. and Nix have been seen by Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell at the Senior Bowl this week. This has caught the notice of Alec Lewis of The Athletic, who stated that the Vikings’ “attentiveness to quarterbacks is evident.”
Expect the Vikings to undertake more research on the QB possibilities in this year’s selection than they did in previous years, as they were supposedly prepared to forfeit a lot in order to trade up for Anthony Richardson.
Tommy Kramer believes the Vikings should select Gardner Minshew over a quarterback in the first round.
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However, Lewis points out that the decision to draft a quarterback this year will depend on “buy-in” from O’Connell, Adofo-Mensah, and the Vikings ownership. If these parties can’t agree on anything, there’s always the option to pass and wait for the QBs of the following season, such as Quinn Ewers of Texas or Shedeur Sanders of Colorado.
NFL scouts and executives have praised Penix Jr.’s arm, and Leber recognized on Allen’s show that he is “outstanding at getting the ball down the field,” though he had some misgivings about less difficult throws, stating he “didn’t show a lot of touch” when he hit running backs on angle routes.
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