The Minnesota Vikings will pick in the vicinity of the top 10 in the 2024 NFL draft if the team loses to the Detroit Lions in Week 18, which will put a Heisman finalist QB squarely in their sights.
Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus released his Mock Draft 4.0 on Friday, January 5, in which he projected the Vikings will draft No. 12 overall. He predicted the franchise will select its QB of the future in that spot, adding Bo Nix of the Oregon Ducks as the fifth signal-caller off the board.
“Five quarterbacks in the top 12 would make for a wild opening night of the 2024 NFL Draft, but until these teams actually fill their needs at the position, dipping into this very talented 2024 signal-caller class again feels plausible,” Sikkema wrote. “If you’ve seen what Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has done with his quarterbacks this year, you have to be somewhat excited about what he could do with Nix’s experience, high football IQ and dual-threat ability.”
Bo Nix Had Monster Season for Oregon in 2023, Finished 3rd in Heisman Voting
While Sikkema believes Nix will come off the board at No. 12, ESPN rates the QB the 47th-best overall prospect in the 2024 class and the sixth-best quarterback.
Nix ended up third in Heisman voting in 2023, finishing behind QB Michael Penix Jr. of Washington, who is set to play in the National Title Game on Monday, and QB Jayden Daniels of LSU, who Sikkema predicts will go No. 3 overall to the New England Patriots.
The 6-foot, 3-inch and 214-pound Nix has five seasons of collegiate experience under his belt — three with Auburn and the last two with Oregon. Nix put up 4,508 yards and 45 TDs against 3 INTs through the air in 2023 to along with 234 rushing yards and 6 scores on the ground. For his career, Nix has tallied 15,352 passing yards, 113 TDs and 26 INTs, per Football Reference.
Vikings Could Draft Bo Nix to Back Up Kirk Cousins for 1-2 Seasons
Nix will turn 24 years old in February, which can be a detractor for some prospects because their pro careers will likely be shorter than their younger counterparts. However, the argument for drafting a player of that age is that he may be mature enough to elevate into a starting job faster than younger players.
The Vikings were not deterred by the age of rookie QB Jaren Hall in 2023, when the team drafted him at the age of 25 last April. Hall doesn’t appear to be the future in Minnesota after earning a couple of starts this season, leaving one early due to injury and the departing the other prematurely after O’Connell pulled him in favor of Nick Mullens.
Mullens is under contract with the Vikings through the 2024 campaign, while Hall will be with the team through 2026. Josh Dobbs, for whom Minnesota traded after Kirk Cousins suffered a season-ending Achilles tear in Week 8, will be a free agent and is likely play elsewhere next season.
Cousins will also be a free agent unless he re-ups with Minnesota in the next two months. If Sikkema is correct and the Vikings draft Nix — or another QB — in the first round, the team could decide to move on from Cousins. However, another possible outcome is that the franchise will re-sign the four-time Pro Bowler on a short-term deal and allow Nix to develop for a season or two behind him.
Cousins has expressed interest in returning to the team next season, while All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson has also voiced support for Cousins coming back in 2024.
