The Minnesota Vikings acquired a first-round draft pick from the Houston Texans on Friday morning, potentially leading them to move up in the round to select a quarterback to replace the departed Kirk Cousins.
In this deal, the Vikings received a seventh-round pick (232 overall) from the Texans' No. Received 23. The Texans received the Vikings' second-round pick (No. 42), their sixth-round pick (No. 188) and their second-round pick in 2025.
The deal includes the Vikings' own first-round pick, no. secured 11 overall, which is their number in theory package. Can advance in the round with 23 picks.
Speaking to reporters in Minnesota on Thursday, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said the team is not locked into drafting a quarterback in the first round with Cousins out. The Vikings have signed free agent Sam Darnold to a one-year, $10 million contract through 2024, and Adofo-Mensah said he thought the team had “the flexibility to go either way.”
“If the opportunity comes where that player is available, we'll take it, and if it's not available in that sense, we'll continue to build and find potential inconsistencies in the long-term solution. We've already brought in Sam and everybody else. So really, the answer isn't some strict thing. It's a Part of that is the flexibility we've wanted to put into our program over the last two years.”
Friday's move, however, made Adofo-Mensah clear that any team that owns the Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders and New England would at least give him a chance to move up in a draft. Patriots — would be interested in making a trade because they all reportedly want to draft a quarterback. In that scenario, the Arizona Cardinals own the no. There could be competition between multiple teams at the 4, who seem set with starter Kyler Murray.
