VDT: Should QB Tanner McKee Be on Minnesota’s Radar?
Josh Frey
|
Stanford QB Tanner McKee has been a dark-horse to sneak into the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft after a strong three-year career with the Cardinals, and the Minnesota Vikings are a team that, sooner or later, has to think about life after Kirk Cousins at the QB position. In fact, just a month ago, Sports Illustrated labeled the Vikings as a top fit for the prospect. Should McKee be on Minnesota’s radar this spring, though?
That is the topic of today’s edition of Vikings Draft Thermometer series, PurplePTSD‘s one-stop shop for all your 2023 NFL Draft needs. Throughout this series, we have examined a number of prospects ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, analyzing their strengths, weaknesses, what exactly their role could be at the NFL level, and most importantly, whether or not they could end up playing their first NFL snaps in a Vikings uniform.
Background
- Height: 6’6
- Weight: 228 pounds
- School: Stanford
- Games Watched: USC (2022), Notre Dame (2022), Washington (2022), BYU (2022)
Statistics
- 2020: 3/7 (42.9%), 62 yards (1 game)
- 2021: 206/315 (65.4%), 2327 yards, 15 TDs, 7 INTs (10 games)
- 2022: 264/426 (62.0%), 2947 yards, 13 TDs, 8 INTs (12 games)
Strengths
Right off the bat, McKee offers ideal NFL size at the quarterback position, tracking with other Stanford QBs who have found themselves in NFL starting roles (John Elway, Andrew Luck, Davis Mills).
The numbers won’t jump off the page, nor will Stanford’s team success with McKee as the starter (finishing 3-9 in both 2021 and 2022). However, while it’d certainly be easier to call him a top QB prospect if we could pair his skillset along with the team success that guys like CJ Stroud and Bryce Young have enjoyed, not all of this falls on McKee. A big problem with Stanford was a lack of receiver talent throughout McKee’s tenure. A number of throws from McKee hit receivers in the hands, and they simply dropped them.
However, in terms of actual skillset, McKee brings ideal arm strength to the table, and he can fit passes into very tight windows on a regular basis, even though he isn’t always rewarded with completions.
In all, McKee is exactly what we’d call a “prototypical QB” prospect in terms of size, arm talent, and underrated mobility in the pocket. He isn’t the most exciting prospect, and certainly doesn’t have the highest ceiling, but he is a “low risk” prospect heading into the NFL.
Weaknesses
In terms of physical skills, McKee doesn’t offer a ton of upside in terms of “off-schedule” throws. He can slide up and down in the pocket, but he isn’t going to be a player that scrambles to extend plays or pick up yards with his legs.
Additionally, he doesn’t have the greatest touch on his deep throws. There are instances where he simply overthrows receivers, and he is liable to a few bad turnover-worthy throws. Then, when he is forced to throw on the run, he becomes very erratic. This is something that must be improved as he gets into the NFL.
NFL Projections
- Draft Round: Mid-Late Second
- Immediate Role: Year 1 backup with potential to start in Year 2
- Best-Case Scenario: Carson Palmer
- Vikings Draft Temperature: 40
I think McKee being a Viking becomes a much higher possibility if Minnesota trades down from No. 23 to potentially acquire an extra Day 2 pick. The Vikings simply have too many other needs to prioritize a quarterback in the first round that likely won’t see any action in his rookie season.
If Minnesota does decide to trade down, though, as we talked about, the Vikings do need to at some point think of life after Cousins. With guys like Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill protecting him, and Justin Jefferson to throw to, McKee is an intriguing option due to his similar skillset to Cousins as well as a much lower price tag.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.