Jayden Daniels to Meet with Vikings amid Commanders, Giants, NFL Draft 2024 Rumors

The Minnesota Vikings are looking into one of the top quarterbacks available ahead of the 2024 NFL draft.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport noted Thursday that Jayden Daniels' agent, Ron Butler, confirmed the LSU product will participate in a private meeting with the NFC North team. Rapoport also reported Daniels is scheduled to meet with the New York Giants on Monday.

This comes after ESPN's Jeremy Fowler previously reported the quarterback was meeting with the Washington Commanders ahead of the draft.

Minnesota will almost assuredly have to trade up if it plans on taking Daniels in the draft.

After all, it has the No. 11 overall pick in the first round, and B/R's NFL Scouting Department recently projected Daniels to go No. 3 overall in its latest mock draft. It also ranked him as the third-best quarterback available behind only North Carolina's Drake Maye and USC's Caleb Williams in its latest big board.

This is an important offseason for the Vikings as they move on from the Kirk Cousins era after the veteran signal-caller signed with the Atlanta Falcons.

They are reportedly doing their due diligence at the quarterback position, as ESPN's Matt Miller reported Thursday that Minnesota was conducting specialized individual meetings with five of the top prospects instead of sending the front office and head coach Kevin O'Connell to various pro days.

"We want to see them work out in a more intimate setting," a team source told Miller. "Get them a little uncomfortable running our workout vs. theirs."

Daniels thrived under pressure at LSU and won the Heisman Trophy in 2023 while completing 72.2 percent of his passes for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns and four interceptions to go with 1,134 yards and 10 scores on the ground.

That type of dual-threat playmaking would work perfectly in an offense that is already loaded with weapons in Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones.

Opposing defenses already have to account for one of the best wide receivers in the league in Jefferson as well as a number of other difference-makers and will only be able to commit so many resources to stopping a quarterback like Daniels from taking off and running.

For now, though, the team is doing its homework on Daniels and other top quarterback prospects as it looks to find Cousins' replacement.