The Minnesota Vikings would be wise not to focus their attention on drafting a quarterback in 2022.
Although there is still a lot of football to be played between now and the end of the season, some leading figures within the Minnesota Vikings will already be focusing their attention on the offseason and strengthening the roster. Whether this is going to be under head coach Mike Zimmer or not is yet to be determined – a situation that’s going to be dictated by the team’s eventual record and whether or not they reach the postseason.
It’s clear the Vikings are a better football team than their record suggests. Almost every game has gone down to the wire in some shape or form and had things gone in Minnesota’s favor more often, things would look extremely encouraging despite some key injuries to the likes of Danielle Hunter.
No NFL team gets anywhere by standing still. Some big decisions await the Vikings this offseason and it all starts with what the team plans to do long-term at the quarterback position.
With this in mind, here are five reasons why Minnesota should avoid taking a signal-caller in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Reason No. 1
Vikings already have a developmental quarterback
Nobody was expecting Kellen Mond to come in and make an immediate impression. But the Vikings must have seen something in the quarterback to convince them he could be a potential starter somewhere down the line.
Mond is a work in progress and has been handled with caution in terms of being active this season. Kirk Cousins remains the unrivaled starter at this juncture, but the simple fact is Minnesota still doesn’t know what it has with the Texas A&M product just yet.
It’s far too soon to write off the third-round pick. So giving him another year behind Cousins rather than drafting another development project seems like the smart way to go.
2022 QB class is not stellar
If last year’s crop of quarterbacks coming out of college was deemed exceptional beforehand, the same cannot be said of those entering the NFL in 2022. There doesn’t appear to be anything like Trevor Lawrence, Mac Jones, or Justin Fields in this group, although that might change once certain individuals develop their skills at the next level.
The Minnesota Vikings aren’t likely to be picking anywhere near the top-five. So if they choose to focus their attention on drafting a quarterback, it might end up being a crapshoot considering the questions surrounding this class.
Among the top prospects entering the league include Matt Corral, Sam Howell, Desmond Ridder, Kenny Pickett, and Malik Willis. Although they all come with talent, none is expected to be ready for a starting role in the immediate future.
The Vikings may not need a rookie quarterback to start thanks to Kirk Cousins still being around on the final year of his deal. But if they want to maximize their chances of success while the Michigan State product is still on the roster, then their first-round pick would be better spent elsewhere.
Again, this would all depend on whether Minnesota opts to go in a change in direction regarding Mike Zimmer and potentially even general manager Rick Spielman. If ownership does eventually decide to hit the reset button, then drafting a signal-caller early becomes far more realistic.
The Cousins dilemma
Another reason why the Minnesota Vikings might not draft a quarterback in 2022 is their dilemma with Kirk Cousins. The veteran has played some exceptional football at times this season, although this hasn’t amounted to a winning record after some failures to get things done when the game’s on the line.
There’s little doubt that Cousins is a tremendous player at the peak of his powers. He’s been extremely efficient in 2021 so far and the Vikings would be far worse off had he not been under center.
However, there is a flip side to this coin.
Minnesota already knows what it has in Cousins. A solid if not spectacular presence at the most important position on the field who’s never going to take them to a Super Bowl.
And therein lies the problem.
Cousins is in the final year of his guaranteed deal that counts a whopping $45 million against the salary cap next season. Although the prospect of an extension cannot be ruled out, 2022 might be his last on the Vikings.
Trading away Cousins with this sort of financial figure would be almost impossible. So adopting a wait-and-see approach before focusing primarily on the quarterback spot in 2023 would be beneficial and give the Michigan State product the best possible chance of going out with a bang.
A good year to strengthen problem areas
It’s not just the quarterback position where the Minnesota Vikings have some slight doubts long-term. Plenty of other positional groups also require attention in the immediate future and considering the organization is projected to be $5.5 million over the cap before sacrifices are made, reinforcing through the draft seems to be their only viable option.
That’s not the worst situation in the world for the Vikings. They have plenty of picks once again and this is a deep draft class at multiple positions that the team can benefit from.
Areas such as safety, defensive line, linebacker, and offensive line are stacked with talent in the 2022 class. These are all positions that either need upgrading or additional depth, so addressing this throughout the draft and standing firm with their current options under center could reap some huge rewards in the long run.
Someone like Jaquan Brisker out of Penn State, for example. A readymade replacement for Harrison Smith when the legendary safety is either not extended or hangs up his cleats.
That might not be the flashiest move in the world. But as stated previously, the Vikings would be taking a significant risk by drafting a quarterback early from this limited bunch.
Besides, nobody is taking on Kirk Cousins and his megabucks contract. And the upcoming free-agent market doesn’t have anything like a standout option.
Get better in other areas on the cheap through the draft. This will improve Minnesota’s aspirations in the short and long term if they choose the right prospects.
Vikings should draft their franchise QB in 2023
Things should look a lot different for the Minnesota Vikings by the 2023 NFL Draft. This is projected to be one of the deepest quarterback classes in recent memory, with plenty set to become Day 1 starters if they continue their upward trend in the coming months.
The eligible signal-callers set to take their chances at the next level in the 2023 class had studs everywhere you look. Whether it’s someone like Alabama‘s Bryce Young of C.J. Stroud of Ohio State, the Vikings have a much better chance of finding their franchise player from this group than gambling on someone next spring.
Even lesser names like Grayson McCall, Hank Bachmeier, Michael Penix Jr., KJ Jefferson, and Garrett Shrader are well worth keeping a close eye on.
The point is, the Vikings should wait.
They were willing to move up in pursuit of Justin Fields in 2021 before the asking price got too steep. So another bold trade-up should be considered if they decide not to extend Kirk Cousins beyond his current deal.
Many might not agree. But for the Vikings to achieve a sustainable future whatever transpires this season, they should adopt this approach as a matter of necessity.