NFL draft rumors: Vikings touted to land national championship-winning QB after passing on Aaron Rodgers 

The Minnesota Vikings had a magnificent season in 2024 as they were 14-3 after finishing just 7-10 the previous year. They will look to build on their efforts in 2025 with a new quarterback in place after they opted not to bring back Sam Darnold, turning things over to J.J. McCarthy, who they selected tenth overall in the 2024 NFL draft.

While many speculated about Aaron Rodgers as a temporary solution at quarterback, the franchise chose a different path. Ben Solak of ESPN recently shared his 2025 quarterback mock draft, where he predicted that the Vikings would select former Ohio State Buckeyes signal caller Will Howard in the sixth round, writing:

"Ideally, the Vikings go QB earlier in this draft -- but Howard in Round 6 is a pretty square deal. He had 43 starts over four seasons at Kansas State and a national championship campaign with Ohio State. With the Buckeyes, he looked the part of a poised and trustworthy veteran. I like Howard's mobility, but he isn't a one-read-and-scramble escape artist in the pocket.

"He'll sit in there, bounce through progressions and look for the correct throw. He can break a tackle or two as well; he's big and doesn't shy away from contact. Howard can access all the levels of the field and is generally safe with the football, but he doesn't see it fast and will get hoodwinked by coverage rotations at the snap. He needs an offense like the one Kevin O'Connell runs, as it protects the quarterback from high processing demands.

"At Ohio State, Howard picked his poison on isolation routes with elite college receivers in Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka. In Minnesota, he could do the same with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. If he hits, I could see Howard having a Jacoby Brissett-like career in the NFL. He might even get the designated sneaker role in Minnesota behind McCarthy!" [h/t ESPN]

Howard had the best season of his collegiate career in 2024. He threw for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship Game Offensive MVP completed 73.0% of his pass attempts while adding 226 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

Vikings general manager discusses passing on Aaron Rodgers

The Minnesota Vikings were linked to Aaron Rodgers following his release from the New York Jets. General manager Kwesi Odofo-Mensah revealed that the team talked to the four-time NFL MVP, however, it did not amount to much, stating:

"I think we got to a place where we just said, everybody was transparent, but right now we feel good about where we're going, and that's really how it ended. It's ultimately up to him, it's hard to talk about a player who's not under contract for our team and who isn't a member of this team. It's ultimately up to him what he decides to do with his future, but that's kind of where we left it."

Odofo-Mensah added that Rodgers has a strong relationship with Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell, but the franchise is focused on the players currently on the roster. The future Pro Football Hall of Famer's options are seemingly dwindling as the draft is just over two weeks away.