It’s never too early to plan for the future. We all know that Kirk Cousins will be the Minnesota Vikings quarterback for the next two years. But what about after that?
Will Grier is already a name that has already been linked to the Minnesota Vikings as a possible option come draft day this year.
The West Virginia product will be a hot name from the group of quarterback prospects come April. While he won’t be in the top tier of signal-callers that will be available in this year’s draft, he should be looked at as a solid second tier prospect.
The 6-foot-2, 218 pound quarterback had many flashes during his college career that has gained the attention of NFL teams. When people talk about Grier, it doesn’t take long for them to mention words like “smooth”, “effortless”, and “confident”.
He is a very poised quarterback who throws a nice ball. Grier’s size and arm won’t wow anyone, but he has enough tools and potential that any team looking for a quarterback wouldn’t be able to ignore.
The big red flag on this gunslinger is the year-long suspension that he received while at the University of Florida for a banned substance. That suspension ultimately led to his transfer to West Virginia. Grier will no doubt have to address that with interested teams, but it really shouldn’t be a huge issue.
Grier will be looked at as a bit of a project, the type of guy that will benefit from a year or two on an NFL sideline. He will need a little polishing when it comes to his mechanics and decision making before he will have a legit shot at making an impact as a starter.
Will Grier – QB (West Virginia)
Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 218 pounds
Pros:
- Throws a nice ball with solid accuracy
- Moves around in the pocket well
- Has a swagger to him that you like to see in quarterbacks
- Refuses to give up
- Good vision
Cons:
- Holds on to the ball to long
- Panics and makes careless throws at times
- Questions about his character
- Arm strength won’t wow you
- Needs time, won’t be ready to start in year one
- Sometimes gets too creative and makes bad decisions
Where he fits on the Vikings:
Obviously this would be a move that would be for the future. Grier would be the guy that could be waiting in the wings when it is time to making a decision on Kirk Cousins in two years.
To come in and have a stand-up, smart guy like Cousins be a mentor would be a dream come true for any young quarterback. He would have zero pressure early in his career and would most likely be the third option behind Cousins and Kyle Sloter.
It might ruffle a few feathers with Minnesota fans as this team does have bigger needs than selecting a quarterback in the first three rounds.
But when you really think about it, Cousins only has two years left on his contract. Will the Vikings really want to go free-agent hunting at the quarterback position again in two seasons? Having one of their own homegrown guys does have a nice ring to it.
Why he could fall:
Grier will need to answer many questions about his short stint at Florida and his decision to transfer. There will also be teams that want a more NFL ready quarterback right off the bat.
Why he could rise:
Look, he is a quarterback. We have seen plenty of instances over the years where teams absolutely fall in love with a guy or a team starts to panic and ends up reaching for a rookie signal-caller (see Christian Hackenberg and Davis Webb).
NFL Draft Projection
I think when all is said and done that Grier will come off the board sometime late in the second round or early third.
Projection: Third round
(For more NFL Draft-related content from Matt Falk, head on over to SkolHole.com and check out his work.)