3 rookie QBs Vikings should trade up for to replace Kirk Cousins

1. Jayden Daniels might end up being the best QB in this draft class

We have arrived at my favorite quarterback prospect in the draft, as well as the one Minnesota would be the most likely to trade up for. While I think J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix and to some extent Michael Penix Jr. could be good picks for the Vikings at No. 11, moving up inside the top five to be in position to draft Jayden Daniels out of LSU is a total game-changer. He projects to be the next Lamar Jackson.

Daniels grew tremendously as a player during his two seasons playing quarterback for Brian Kelly at LSU. He went from a guy some of his former Arizona State teammates were happy to see leave the program into being one of the best players in Bayou Bengals history. While he cannot go to a place with a terrible head coach, I think Daniels has as good of a chance to work pretty much everywhere.

Barring injuries to someone like Penix, the Vikings are the one team I feel the most confident about the career success of the quarterback they would take in this draft class. Daniels could become their 21st-century version of Fran Tarkenton. Trading up to presumably No. 3 with New England may not be akin to moving a mountain like it would making a trade with Chicago or Washington. I kind of like this.

Minnesota probably should not trade up for a quarterback this year, but Daniels is the safest bet.