Quarterback No. 1
Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikings)
For the last few years, Kirk Cousins was regarded as the second-best quarterback in the NFC North when Aaron Rodgers was a member of the Packers. So with Rodgers no longer in the division, Cousins gets to move into the top spot.
In 2022, Cousins arguably had his most successful season in the NFL since he entered the league in 2012. The veteran quarterback led the Vikings to 13 wins, an NFC North crown, and a spot in the playoffs.
Cousins did throw fewer touchdowns and more interceptions last season than he did in 2021. But the decrease wasn't dramatic enough to make much of an impact in his performance on the field. Cousins was also asked to take more risks in 2022, and even though this might have negatively impacted his final statistics for the season, it resulted in more wins for the team.
For 2023, it's possible that Cousins could perform even better than he did last season since he'll get to work with the same offensive coordinator and offensive play-caller in back-to-back years for the first time in his tenure with Minnesota.
Could this continuity result in Cousins and the Vikings accomplishing even bigger goals than what they were able to achieve in 2022?