Questions for Kwesi: How Early is Too Early to Draft a QB?
K. Joudry
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Kirk Cousins might end up as the Vikings’ QB for five or six years. If that occurs, it’ll be because one of two things happened. Either he finally elevates into the NFL’s upper echelon or the team abandons any pretense of being interested in anything other than mediocrity.
If the more plausible scenario occurs, the Vikings will be looking for a new passer in a few seasons. That’s a situation where the team likely decides to hand the team over to a young fella.
Part of what got me thinking about this topic is a recent piece on The Draft Network. The seven-round mock has the Vikings going with QB Sam Howell in RD2. Take a peak at their rationale for the selection:
Kirk Cousins can’t play forever and Vikings fans probably don’t want him to anyway. Sam Howell isn’t a first-round quarterback prospect but he’ll begin to garner interest right around this spot in round two. He’s a better athlete than Cousins and could bring more to the offense with his legs in a year or two. Cousins isn’t going anywhere (sans a trade shortly after this is published) in 2022, but adding a prospect like Howell to take over in 2023 would be a wise strategy.
The recent extension ensures that Mr. Cousins will be under center in 2023. Nevertheless, the overall logic remains. The team would be wise to start planning for life post-Kirk.
Not too long ago, I wrote about how the Vikings may see Cousins as a bridge QB in 2023. That role will largely depend on how he performs in this upcoming season. The team shouldn’t be in a hurry to move on if he, say, turns in a first-team All Pro season. In contrast, the team should be looking to move on if he merely repeats what he has been doing all these years: nice stats and a .500 record.
The question Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings need to be asking themselves is how they plan to address the QB position in the draft. The team’s hesitancy to sign legit corner and OL talent leaves the roster with some gaping holes. The implication, then, is that the draft will be used as a way to address these areas. For this reason, I see a RD1 QB as a tiny chance.
After the opening round, it’s anyone’s guess. The team can’t be thrilled about the prospect of having Sean Mannion as the main backup. Kellen Mond, moreover, looks raw. Neither inspire a ton of confidence, so opting for one of this year’s most promising QBs is a possibility. The main question really rests in how early is too early.
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[brid autoplay=”true” video=”981749″ player=”26281″ title=”WATCH%203%20Jacksonville%20Jaguars%20options%20with%201st%20overall%20pick” duration=”107″ description=”The Jacksonville Jaguars will once again have the dubious honor of picking first at next month’s NFL draft. Unlike in recent seasons, this year’s rookie class doesn’t have those top two or maybe three players that transcend the event. For example, everyone knew Jacksonville was going with Trevor Lawrence months before the draft took place, so the pick announcement was a mere formality.The thing is, Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke will have several options when it comes to the top selection. The team can go offense, defense, or perhaps trade out of that spot. There are several outcomes that can take place come April. Let’s take a look at a few of them.” uploaddate=”2022-03-28″ thumbnailurl=”undefined” contentUrl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/streaming/981715/981715.m3u8″ width=”16″ height=”9″]