Redrafting the Vikings rookie class after the 2022 season

Seventh-Round Pick (227th overall)

Original Selection: Nick Muse – TE (South Carolina)

Redraft Selection: Brock Purdy – QB (Iowa State)

The seventh round of the NFL Draft should always be about gambles. The Vikings could’ve gambled on a young quarterback to groom behind Kirk Cousins but instead elected to take a tight end. That appears to have been the wrong choice by a mile.

Nick Muse seems like a really fun guy, but he didn’t play a single offensive snap for Minnesota this year, as he just had a role on special teams. The future doesn’t seem all that bright either, as he has both T.J. Hockenson and Johnny “Freaking” Mundt ahead of him on the depth chart.

There was no risk with this selection, and there will likely be no reward either. The Vikings could’ve rolled the dice and hit a jackpot with Brock Purdy, but instead, the 49ers got to.

Purdy doesn’t have elite physical traits, but he is just a smart quarterback who puts the ball where it needs to be and doesn’t make many mistakes. No spot seems to be too big for him, and since taking over for the injured Jimmy Garoppolo, he has been undefeated.

Now, the argument has been made that he is a product of his system and the way Kyle Shanahan is calling the plays, and there may be some truth to that. The other side is that the quarterback has to place the ball where it needs to be, make the right reads, and not let the pressure get to him.

Purdy does all of that in spades. Sure, he could just be on a nice run and end up being below average, but at this point, he looks to be the real deal.

The Vikings do need to get a plan in place to be ready for life without Kirk Cousins. They could have landed that player in the seventh round in 2022, but instead,c they chose a tight end who bore his mid-riff in a goofy pose for his team picture.