After a ton of chatter this week about trades that were expected in this year’s NFL Draft, when Thursday night arrived the first nine picks were made without anyone moving up or down. As such, it was mostly chalk in those picks, with one major surprise as the Falcons took Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall.
However, after the Bears added Rome Odunze to Caleb Williams in their draft haul, the Jets arrived at the No. 10 pick with JJ McCarthy still on the board and Minnesota itching to add a quarterback. Rather than risk the Jets taking McCarthy or another team trading up for the former Michigan signal-caller, the Vikings pulled the trigger on a trade that sent a fourth and fifth round pick to the Jets in order to move up a spot to get their guy, getting a sixth rounder in return.
Comp update with pick numbers: Vikings trade No. 11, 4th (129), 5th (157); Jets send — No. 10, 6th (203) https://t.co/AcIduKrA40
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 26, 2024
By taking McCarthy, the Vikings get who they hope will be their QB of the future, while giving him time to develop behind Sam Darnold (if they feel that’s needed). The Jets, meanwhile, still get the guy they wanted (offensive tackle Olu Fashanu) while adding a couple mid-round selections by taking advantage of their leverage in the 10th spot knowing what Minnesota wanted.
The trade also made Draft history, as it was the first time in NFL history five quarterbacks went in the top-10, as Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Penix, and McCarthy all got their names called early on Thursday night.