Fansided

NFL Draft: Minnesota Vikings quarterback options that are actually realistic

By Rucker Haringey

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 28: Shea Patterson #2 of the Michigan Wolverines throws a second quarter pass while playing the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Michigan Stadium on September 28, 2019 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 28: Shea Patterson #2 of the Michigan Wolverines throws a second quarter pass while playing the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Michigan Stadium on September 28, 2019 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 5
Next

It’s time for the Vikings to plan for life after Kirk Cousins. Here are five quarterbacks Minnesota should consider taking in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Kirk Cousins is firmly entrenched as the Vikings starting quarterback of the present, but that doesn’t mean Minnesota doesn’t need to take a signal caller in this year’s draft. The franchise would be wise to add another option at the position who can grow into Cousins’ successor in the near future.

Cousins is signed through 2022, but it’s highly unlikely that the Vikings are going to bring him back after that season at a salary north of $30 million per season. That’s why now is the time for Mike Zimmer and his staff to start future proofing the position.

With all due respect to Sean Mannion and Jake Browning, neither player is worth building an offense around moving forward. It’s imperative that the Vikings add an option with more upside. The quarterback they draft in 2020 doesn’t need to play right away, but he needs to possess a ceiling as an above average starter. Here are five guys Minnesota can realistically get in a position to draft who fit that description.

5. Shea Patterson

The former Michigan signal caller qualifies as a deep sleeper in this year’s class. He’s going to be a Day 3 selection at best. The Vikings could scoop him up with a sixth or seventh round pick.

At that spot in the draft, he’s a really interesting flyer. His college tape shows flashes of real quality surrounded by maddening inconsistency. Patterson never seemed to really settle into Jim Harbaugh’s spread offense. That caused him to spray the ball around the field in a bad way.

The gamble here for the Vikings is that they can spend a few seasons really immersing him into their offensive system. An increase in comfort level and some improvement on technique might forge Patterson into a viable starter. It’s a risk worth considering for Minnesota.

Home/Minnesota Vikings