Minnesota Vikings full 2020 NFL mock draft

4th round

There’s a chance Jalen Hurts doesn’t last this long, but the Vikings will jump on the opportunity to take a potential quarterback of the future if he does. As a starter for Alabama and Oklahoma during his college career, Hurts went 38-4.

He has strong intangibles, with good size (6-foot-1, 222 pounds) and great mobility to go with solid arm strength and accuracy. He needs a lot of development and overall polish as a pocket passer though, which extends out to recognition and patience as plays develop in intermediate areas and downfield.

The Vikings have attached their fate to Kirk Cousins, for better or worse, for the aforementioned three more years, barring a trade. But they are also counting on him to stay healthy behind what may remain a lackluster offensive line, with Sean Mannion in place as the backup. Based solely on raw ability, Hurts automatically upgrades that situation.

Some Vikings’ fans will easily lament the notion of drafting a quarterback, regardless of round, this year. But Hurts would be among the best players available here, deep in the fourth round, and the premium on quarterbacks drives this choice.