3 quarterbacks the Vikings should be targeting in 2023 NFL Draft to replace Kirk Cousins

With Kirk Cousins playing on an expiring contract in two years, the Minnesota Vikings could be in the mix to potentially trade up for a new franchise quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft.

The 2023 NFL Draft should be a great one for quarterbacks and the Minnesota Vikings could potentially trade up to draft their new face of the franchise.

Minnesota is in a very interesting spot this season. Though they are not expected to win the NFC North because the Green Bay Packers still play in that division, the Vikings could be a Wild Card team if all goes well. Conversely, they could bottom out in year one of the Kevin O’Connell/Kwesi Adofo-Mensah partnership. All the while, Kirk Cousins is will still be getting paid out the wazoo.

With Cousins only under contract for two more seasons, the Vikings might seriously consider trading up to get a new franchise quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft. Who could they be targeting?

Minnesota Vikings: 3 quarterbacks worth trading up for in the 2023 NFL Draft

The Pac-12 passer to keep an eye on this year has to be Stanford’s Tanner McKee

Though it remains to be seen who the No. 3 quarterback prospect will be in next year’s draft, there is a chance it could be the guy out of Stanford in Tanner McKee. While the Cardinal need to be exponentially better and get to a freaking bowl game, McKee has the necessary size and arm talent to be a successful starting quarterback in the NFC North division. He could go top 10 or so.

McKee is 6-foot-6 and 228 pounds. He played in 10 games last year as a sophomore, completing 65.4 percent of his passes for 2,327 yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Even if the Cardinal program has deteriorated under David Shaw’s watch, Stanford has a proven track record of producing quarterbacks NFL teams want to draft. McKee could be the next one coming out.

Because USC transfer Caleb Williams is not draft-eligible, one would think McKee could become the apple of everyone’s eye out on the West Coast. Though Jake Haener could be interesting playing for Fresno State, there is a lot to like from a traits perspective that McKee could bring to the table. Of course, if the Cardinal win like four games again, nobody is going to care about talent.

Should Stanford be able to hold its own in the Pac-12, it may do wonders for McKee’s draft stock.