2024 NFL Draft rumors: Broncos-Vikings "under-the-radar" move to fill in for Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins

With the NFL draft fast approaching, the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings are looking to begin their new eras without Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins.

With Russell Wilson now in Pittsburgh and Cousins in Atlanta, both franchises are thought to want a quarterback in the first round of the draft.

The Vikings hold the No. 11 pick, while the Broncos have the 12th, so they are close together. Given that Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels and possibly J.J. McCarthy could be off the board by the time the franchises pick, there might not be enough top-rated quarterbacks to take.

That is where an interesting trade idea from FanSided comes into play. In the scenario, the Vikings trade quarterback Nick Mullens to the Broncos and receive a 2024 sixth-round pick.

Now, why would this trade happen? Mullens could be a good stopgap player for the Broncos if there isn't a viable candidate for the franchise to select in the first round.

After all, the last thing Denver wants to do is to reach for a quarterback when it doesn't need to. Mullens has shown he can be a capable quarterback as last year for the Vikings, while he was 0-3 as a starter, still threw for 1,306 yards, seven touchdowns and eight interceptions.

This trade would be "under the radar," as FanSided puts it, and could prove to be a shrewd piece of business for Denver.

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Could Broncos draft Russell Wilson's successor?

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The Denver Broncos could draft Russell Wilson's successor. And keep in mind that they are still on the hook for his contract for 2024 ($37.79 million, per the Denver Post), so drafting a cheap quarterback could be the play for Sean Payton and his team.

But despite picking early in the draft, there are a host of quarterback-needy teams ahead of them. That means that by the time Denver picks at No. 12, the top prospects are going to be off the board.

Could someone like Bo Nix or Spence Rattler be a target for Payton? It's possible, but the other question is, will the franchise want to spend a first-round pick on a player like Nix? He finished third in Heisman trophy voting in 2023 after throwing for 4,508 yards, 45 touchdowns and just three interceptions.

Denver needs a quarterback to replace Russell Wilson, and a player like Nix could be just the player the franchise picks, but if it wants a top-tier talent, then a trade-up scenario would likely have to happen.