There is no reason for the Vikings to draft Kyler Murray this year

With the former Oklahoma quarterback declaring his commitment to football on Monday, some have been wondering if the Minnesota Vikings should be interested in his services.

Whether people like it or not, Kirk Cousins is the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings for the next two seasons. Unless he goes down with a catastrophic injury, there is really no reason for the Vikings to consider someone else under center until 2021.

Despite this, some believe that Minnesota should consider using an early-round draft selection this year on a future quarterback, specifically former Oklahoma signal-caller Kyler Murray.

Given Minnesota’s other important needs heading into the 2019 draft, using a pick in the first, second, or even third round on a guy who probably won’t play for another two years is not even a thought they should have.

Especially to select a player like Murray, who could possibly get discouraged by sitting on the bench for too long and it may cause him to bolt for a career in professional baseball instead.

Look, as intriguing as adding a dynamic quarterback like Murray might be, drafting him would be a horrible decision for the Vikings to make. Intentional or not, it would send a very negative message to Cousins, who doesn’t need any help with lowering his confidence.

Murray also declared his commitment to football on Monday and it was likely because he has been told that he could have the opportunity to play immediately as a rookie in 2019. This is not something Minnesota can offer to him next season.

If the Vikings want to draft a quarterback with their final few selections this year that’s fine. But Minnesota should take care of filling their more vital needs in the 2019 draft before selecting a guy that’s pretty much guaranteed to sit on the bench for the next two years.