Signs continue to point towards the likelihood of Kirk Cousins signing with the Falcons this month, ending his six-year tenure as the Vikings’ starting quarterback. If that happens, Minnesota will be a team to watch regarding a trade up for a QB in this year’s draft. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Kevin O’Connell, and company have done plenty of work on this year’s quarterback class, and it would make sense if they decided to get aggressive and go get their guy for their future.

In that vein, more and more national mock drafts have the Vikings trading up for a QB. Here are a couple recent ones.

Dane Brugler, The Athletic: Vikings take J.J. McCarthy at No. 7
Projected trade: Vikings send No. 11, No. 109 and a 2025 second-rounder to the Titans for No. 7

Bringing back Cousins and drafting McCarthy is the ideal outcome for the Vikings, as that would bridge the short-term with the long-term at the roster’s most important position. But with Denver, Las Vegas, New Orleans and maybe a few other teams potentially in the McCarthy market, it might require a trade up for Minnesota to nab the Michigan quarterback.

This would be a logical move for the Vikings, whether Cousins is back or not. McCarthy seems to be a great fit for O’Connell’s offense, so why not send Tennessee a fourth and a 2025 second to move up four spots and ensure that you get him? There’s been buzz for a while that the NFL is high on McCarthy’s potential, so waiting for him to fall to 11 feels like a risky exercise if the Vikings really want him.

If Cousins signs with the Falcons, the Vikings could add a different veteran bridge quarterback to allow McCarthy to sit and develop for a bit.

Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports: Vikings take Drake Maye at No. 5
Last year, three QBs went in the top 4 picks. And in 2021, the top 3 selections were all QBs. You’d have to go back to 2017 to find the last time four QBs went in the top 10 (before that? 1949). We could see four quarterbacks off the board through five picks this year, especially if multiple teams are able to trade up. And that’s what happens in this mock draft: the Vikings move up to take Drake Maye as their next face of the franchise. The implication, of course, is that Kirk Cousins signs a huge deal with the Falcons, Broncos or even the Raiders because otherwise, any of those three teams could be looking to move up for a QB, too.

This is a fascinating one. In Wilson’s mock, the Commanders take Jayden Daniels at 2 and the Patriots take McCarthy (!) at 3. That allows the Vikings to trade up to 5 and get Maye, who typically goes second overall to Washington in mocks. That would absolutely be a swing worth taking for Minnesota, even if it costs a future first to move up six spots in a deal with the Chargers. Maye has elite NFL upside due to his arm talent and athleticism — which is why I still expect him to go No. 2 to the Commanders. But who knows what could happen?