What if a top QB prospect falls to the Vikings in the draft?
Will the Vikings take a quarterback in the first round of the NFL Draft? Never say never, especially when the team of topic has a 35-year-old starter who only has one year left on his contract.
Kirk Cousins' future with the Vikings will be the hot topic until the Vikings do something. If nothing happens and they let him play out his contract, will Cousins happily walk into 2023 on a lame duck deal or will he demand future security or ask for a trade? The Vikings could sign him to a short-term extension or test Father Time and give him a long-term deal.
Whatever the case, Cousins is going to be 35 years old and the Vikings cannot afford to wait much longer to solidify their future quarterback plan. What we know for certain right now is that the future starting QB is not on the current roster.
"There is an idea when it comes to drafting that you should make picks for your needs two years down the road and if we consider Kirk Cousins’ age and contract situation, it’s not hard to see the Alex Smith/Patrick Mahomes comparison," says Purple Insider's Matthew Coller. "Certainly the Vikings have other needs but they also have a roster that is about to go through a transition where many of the players who were staples are not going to be here. Picking a QB would be a sign that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is making this his team now."
So in the event that a top flight QB prospect is on the board when the Vikings pick 23rd in the upcoming NFL Draft, what will Adofo-Mensah do?
There appear to be four first-round caliber quarterbacks in this year's draft class: Alabama's Bryce Young, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Kentucky's Will Levis and Florida's Anthony Richardson. A lot can change in the next three months but Young and Stroud seem like top-10 locks. Levis and Richardson could also go early, leaving the Vikings no first-round QB options. But if one does fall, it gets interesting.
"Between now and the draft, I’m sure we will hear plenty of quarterback talk surrounding the Vikings. But they also need help on defense, obviously, including in the secondary," said The Athletic's Dane Brugler in his most recent mock draft, where he has the Vikings taking Maryland cornerback Deonte Banks.
© Matt Pendleton / USA TODAY NETWORK
Bucky Brooks of NFL.com has Young, Stroud and Levis going in the top 10 and Richardson going 22nd to the Ravens, with the Vikings going with South Carolina cornerback Cam Smith.
At CBS Sports, Ryan Wiilson has Young, Stroud and Levis all gone within the first five picks, and Richardson going 10th to the Panthers. He has the Vikings using the 23rd selection on LSU edge rusher B.J. Ojulari.
Peter Fiutak of Yahoo! Sports has Minnesota taking Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon in the first round, while all four quarterbacks going within the first eight picks.
NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah has the Ravens taking Richardson one pick ahead of Minnesota, following by Miami cornerback Tyrique Stevenson going to the Vikings at 23.
So far, no QB picks for the Vikings in the mock world. Keep digging, though, and the QB-to-Minnesota dots can be found.
The Draft Bible has the Vikings taking Richardson in the first round, with this note attached to the prediction: "Sizeable height and length for the position, with an intimidating structure. Overly poised for a player with such little experience. Very comfortable in the pocket and has the instinct to step up when it collapses or escape the impending rush."
