The days and weeks between the end of an NFL season and NFL free agency are high time for all kinds of speculations, which Jeff Risdon of Draft Wire attempted to do when he wrote about the Minnesota Vikings’ recent hiring of former NFL gunslinger Josh McCown as the team’s newest QB coach.
On paper, getting the services of McCown doesn’t seem to be a move that moves the needle much for the Minnesota Vikings. But since he was also the high school head coach of top 2024 NFL Draft QB prospect Drake Maye, an idea can be formed.
The longtime journeyman NFL quarterback has ties to a number of different coaching staffs and teams, including the Vikings and head coach Kevin O’Connell. McCown also has a pretty interesting link to one of the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming draft too.
Back in 2019, McCown coached at a high school in North Carolina. As ESPN’s Jordan Reid pointed out, the quarterback on McCown’s team was none other than Drake Maye.
Will The Minnesota Vikings Trade Up To Get In Better Position To Select A Tier 1 QB Prospect At 2024 NFL Draft?
However, the Vikings are drafting 11th overall in the upcoming draft, which means they are unlikely to land Maye even if they wanted to. The Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, and the New England Patriots — the top three teams on the draft board — are all QB-needy teams, so by the time the Vikings get their chance to select, Maye, Caleb Williams, and Jayden Daniels are very much likely no longer available. The Vikings’ need to get a QB in the offseason will only intensify once the team and Kirk Cousins officially part ways.
So if the Vikings want to get in a better position to get Maye, they have to move up the draft board via a trade. Although that’s nothing but pure speculation at the moment, anything is possible.