Which teams should the Minnesota Vikings emulate if they retool?

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers jumped the gun on getting their franchise quarterback when they traded up to select Trey Lance despite already paying Jimmy Garoppolo a lot of money. Minnesota may find itself in a very similar situation this offseason or next when they try to get off of Kirk Cousins’ contract.

San Francisco has done a great job of adding talent throughout the later stages of the draft, which is true for the Vikings as well. Both teams have turned several mid-to-late round selections into stars over recent years.

With the 49ers hanging on the NFC after a stunning upset over the Rams, their building plan is proving beneficial once again. The Vikings need to follow their lead by investing in the trenches during the draft and making the splash to get a potential franchise quarterback when all other holes are filled.

Rather than reaching for a quarterback in a year when the class lacks a blue-chip player, the Vikings should hold tight and get the rest of the pieces in place first. The 49ers loaded up on defensive linemen and eventually spent the resources to clean up the offensive line before they traded up for Lance.

Minnesota has already started in the direction. Young offensive linemen have really brightened up the future for the Vikings and that will make the transition to a new quarterback a lot easier. The 49ers may be in a bit of a down year right now but that will not last long.