2023 NFL Draft: Could the Vikings land their QB of the future?
MINNEAPOLIS – With the Vikings and Kirk Cousins seemingly both content to part ways after the 2023 season, the team has a need at the quarterback position in a way it hasn't in years.
For all of his faults, real or perceived, Cousins has been a steady hand at the wheel of the Vikings' offense. He's started all but two games since he arrived in Minnesota in 2018 and has thrown for 4,000+ yards in four of five seasons.
But his contract is up after the upcoming season, and an extension seems unlikely at this point. There's always the possibility he signs a midseason extension or gets a new contract from the Vikings after this season, but all signs point to the team looking for a quarterback of the future.
With the NFL draft coming up, here are a few ways the Vikings could find that QB.
READ MORE: 2023 NFL Draft: Vikings look to improve team with limited picks - here's what to know
TRADE UP
This is probably the least likely scenario, but if the Vikings want to land one of the top QBs in the draft, they're likely going to need to get into the top five -- maybe even the top three.
The Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans are expected to take quarterbacks with the first two picks in the draft. The Arizona Cardinals, at No. 3, are unlikely to take a passer with Kyler Murray now on a long-term deal, but they could be a potential trade-up spot for another QB-needy team. And at No. 4, the Indianapolis Colts are also primed to take a quarterback.
So to get one of the top three quarterbacks in this class – the consensus seems to be Alabama's Bryce Young, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and Florida's Anthony Richardson occupy those spots – the Vikings will need to aim for that Cardinals pick.
In 2021, the San Francisco 49ers jumped from 12th overall to third to draft Trey Lance (more on him later). It cost the 49ers that 12th pick, first rounders in 2022 and 2023 and a third round pick in 2022. So to get from No. 23 to 3, the Vikings are looking at giving up at least three first round picks, and probably more.
For that cost, the Vikings would have to be absolutely certain the guy they take – likely Richardson, as Young and Stroud are predicted to be the top two picks – is the guy. Maybe they are! But if not, trading up wouldn't make a whole lot of sense.
STAND PAT OR TRADE BACK
At No. 23, the Vikings are certainly going to miss out on the top-tier guys. But it's not impossible that someone from the second tier of quarterbacks – Will Levis from Kentucky or Hendon Hooker from Tennessee, for instance – will fall to their pick.
Hooker, in particular, has been a popular pick for the Vikings in recent mock drafts. He's CBS Sports' No. 5 quarterback, but 55th overall prospect. It would be a reach to take him at 23, but teams often reach for quarterbacks. If the Vikings believe Hooker is their QBOTF, and he falls to 23, it's a no-brainer pick.
Alternatively, if Hooker is there at 23 and the Vikings think he's likely to fall further, they could try and trade back with a team at the end of the first round or the beginning of the second round. It's a risk, but it could pay off with the team getting some extra value and potentially still landing Hooker.
READ MORE: CBS Sports says Vikings among teams with toughest decisions to make in NFL Draft
LATE-ROUND FLYER
If the Vikings don't feel comfortable trading up or landing one of the second tier QBs, their next option is to take a mid- to late-round flier on a developmental passer.
There are several intriguing options in this year's draft, including UCLA's Dorian Thompson-Robinson, BYU's Jaren Hall and Stanford's Tanner McKee. None of these guys are ready to start right away, but with Cousins virtually guaranteed to be on the roster for another year (trading him would be difficult, if not impossible), they could sit and learn behind a veteran before needing to take the reins. And if, after a year, the Vikings feel the QB still isn't ready, it's not like they invested a high draft pick. If they're in position to take a QB high next year, there's no sunk cost to worry about.
The Vikings, though, may want to save their limited draft picks for other positions. While the rarity of a successful undrafted quarterback cannot be overstated – Kurt Warner and Tony Romo are the standouts – they could take a shot on one and hope for the best. The two QBs who played in the national championship – Georgia's Stetson Bennett and TCU's Max Duggan – could go undrafted, along with Louisville's Malik Cunningham.
…TREY LANCE?
After trading a haul of picks to land Lance in the 2021 draft, it seems as if the 49ers are ready to move on from the once tantalizing prospect. A combination of injuries and the better-than-expected performance of Brock Purdy has the 49ers taking calls on Lance.
The Vikings connection is obvious -- Lance was born in Marshall, Minnesota, and played college ball across the border at North Dakota State University. On top of that, per Pro Football Talk, the Vikings and 49ers "talked about" Lance at the scouting combine. It's unclear what exactly that means, but the NFL Network has also reported that the 49ers have fielded several calls about a trade for Lance.
The big question with Lance will be the cost. The 49ers probably aren't expecting to recoup the first round picks they gave up to draft him, but what will be their asking price? The Vikings don't have a second round pick this year, but could trade next year's, along with one or two third round picks, for Lance. Would the 49ers be willing to take that deal? It seems they're ready to move on and not super concerned about saving face.
The other question, of course, is whether Lance is worth taking a chance on. It doesn't bode well that the 49ers are seemingly so ready to move on so soon after drafting him highly. But it is entirely possible they just like Purdy better -- or have a clandestine plan to land another quarterback -- and want to shed Lance while they can still get something for him. Lance's athletic upside would certainly give the Vikings something Cousins can't, and if they aren't going to trade up to land one of the top guys this year, he definitely has more potential than the mid-round prospects they would be looking at.
The first round of the draft starts Thursday at 7 p.m.
