It would be nice to move up to number three, as that would put the Vikings in a position where they could ensure that they either select Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye, depending on the Washington Commanders’ choice at number two. All of this is presuming that Caleb Williams of USC will be selected by the Chicago Bears with the first overall pick, as most national reporting from NFL insiders over the past few weeks has suggested.
Having said that, the Vikings should probably reserve their willingness to punt on Jefferson in order to have a chance to select a quarterback until after they have secured their preferred signal-caller. The only way to do that would be to get the first pick, which would probably mean making a straight deal with the Bears.
On February 10, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that Chicago would need to make a “historic haul” in order to drop out of the top pick in the draft. In exchange for the top pick in 2023, the Bears received two firsts, two seconds, and receiver DJ Moore from the Carolina Panthers.
Therefore, Jefferson feels like it’s in the neighborhood of the value Rapoport mentioned prior to the Super Bowl. Jefferson is worth two firsts and a mid-rounder, according to Barnwell, plus two more firsts from Minnesota (No. 11 in 2024 and a first-rounder in 2025).
