NFL Draft 2018: The Vikings should draft a quarterback this year
By Adam Patrick
Using a mid to late-round draft selection on a quarterback this year would be a wise decision for the Minnesota Vikings to make.
When the Minnesota Vikings open the 2018 season at home against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1, it will be with a quarterback who has never started a single game for the franchise. Assuming his health stays intact this summer, Kirk Cousins will become the sixth different quarterback in the last six years to start under center in the Vikings’ regular season opener.
Stability has not exactly been consistent for Minnesota in the recent past when it comes to their starting quarterback. Part of the reason the Vikings paid Cousins so much money this offseason has to do with their hope that he can be their starter for multiple seasons.
Despite their large investment in the position group this year, Minnesota should still consider adding another signal caller to their roster during the upcoming 2018 NFL Draft.
Before anyone begins to freak out and say that there’s absolutely no reason for the Vikings to draft a quarterback this year, let’s take a look at which signal callers are currently on the team’s roster.
Minnesota has Cousins, Trevor Siemian, and Kyle Sloter. Cousins is the assumed starter for 2018, while Siemian and Sloter will likely battle for the backup job in training camp this summer.
Since Siemian only has one year remaining on his current contract and Sloter wouldn’t cost the team anything to cut, it would be smart for the Vikings to begin thinking about who their backup quarterback will be in 2019.
It’s possible a rookie could even come in a compete for the number two job this season. But at the very least, he would be able to spend 2018 as Minnesota’s number three option or on their practice squad and learn the team’s offense.
Minnesota Vikings
With this strategy, the Vikings would either have someone waiting in the wings if Cousins decides to go elsewhere in three years or they would have player to use in a future trade and acquire more assets.
It’s possible that Minnesota could use a mid-round draft pick on a quarterback this year. But it seems more likely that the Vikings would use one of their late-round selections instead if they decide to actually draft a passer.
Potential quarterback options for Minnesota that could still be on the board when they go on the clock in the sixth round this year includes Richmond’s Kyle Lauletta, Marshall’s Chase Litton, Nebraska’s Tanner Lee, Western Kentucky’s Mike White, and Texas Tech’s Nic Shimonek.
The Vikings have already paid Cousins a truckload of money to be their starter for 2018 and beyond. However, recent years have shown that Minnesota must always have a solid backup option for under center.
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Siemian and Sloter are decent number two options, but neither are good enough for the Vikings to not consider taking a chance on a rookie quarterback in this year’s draft.