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NFL rumors: 5 Kirk Cousins replacements Vikings should already consider

By Cody Williams

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 15: Kirk Cousins #8 of the Minnesota Vikings reacts after losing to the New York Giants in the NFC Wild Card playoff game at U.S. Bank Stadium on January 15, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 15: Kirk Cousins #8 of the Minnesota Vikings reacts after losing to the New York Giants in the NFC Wild Card playoff game at U.S. Bank Stadium on January 15, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) /
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Minnesota Vikings, Kirk Cousins replacements, Quinn Ewers
AUSTIN, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 25: Quinn Ewers #3 of the Texas Longhorns stands for the Eyes of Texas after the game against the Baylor Bears at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on November 25, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

3. Quinn Ewers could cost the Vikings less than other draft options at QB

By my estimation, if the Vikings indeed elect to move on from the Kirk Cousins era, then the draft is going to play a big part in that. The problem inherent in that strategy, however, is the reason that Minnesota might actually want to hit the reset button at quarterback.

Again, with the talent around him in Minnesota, Cousins is going to win a lot of football games. As such, it’s almost sure that they are going to be either in the playoffs or on the cusp of the postseason. That, in turn, makes their draft capital less valuable than it otherwise would be, which makes picking one of the top two quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft either impossible from their own pick or exceedingly pricey to trade up in order to do.

The good news for the Vikings is that the 2024 quarterback class is more than just Caleb Williams and Drake Maye if they don’t want to trade up to the No. 1 or 2 pick.

One option that is sure to intrigue NFL teams outside of the Top 5  in the draft, however, is Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers. The former 5-star recruit transferred out of Ohio State after not playing as a freshman and ended up in Austin. Limited to 10 games due to injury, he still threw for 2,177 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions as a redshirt freshman.

That doesn’t paint the entire picture with Ewers, though. He’s got an absolute cannon, has put on weight to better endure hits throughout a season this offseason, and showed a real it-factor at times in his first season starting in college football.

Now entering year two with the Longhorns, if he continues to trend upward, he could be the third quarterback off of the board in the 2024 draft. More importantly, he’s going to be in a much more reasonable range for the Vikings to trade up for him if they are looking to replace Cousins.

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