Three biggest concerns for Minnesota Vikings before the draft

The Minnesota Vikings had a successful run under first-year head coach Kevin O’Connell last season, though despite winning their division, their subsequent first-round playoff exit was a bad look. With Aaron Rodgers on his way out of Green Bay (presumably, eventually), the window could be open for Minnesota to put a strangle-hold on the NFC North.

Here are the Vikings’ three biggest concerns ahead of the draft:

1. Does Dalvin Cook get traded before the draft?

It has been rumored for some time that Minnesota wants the 27-year-old Cook to take a pay cut, a notion which he has balked at. Several teams still need a starting-caliber running back (Buffalo, Denver, Miami, Philadelphia), and Cook could reportedly be had for a third-round pick.

The big holdup with any potential trade is his $14.1 million cap hit for 2023, which not many teams are keen on adding. But matters could shift closer to the draft, if teams begin to sweat due to the thinness of the coming running backs class outside of Texas’ Bijan Robinson and Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs. Cook is a sure thing.

2. Is it time to draft Kirk Cousins' successor?

Seemingly every major draft analyst has the Vikings selecting a quarterback at some point in April's big show. Some like the team to move up in the first round for either Kentucky's Will Levis or Florida's Anthony Richardson if those signal-callers fall outside of the top 10, while others have them using their second-rounder on Tennessee's Hendon Hooker or Stanford's Tanner McKee.

Cousins will be 35 by the time the 2023-24 season starts. Despite his success in Minnesota -- four seasons with 4,000 or more passing yards, a winning record in four of five seasons -- the team has just one playoff win during his time leading the offense. It would be wise to draft a quarterback at some point and let him sit a year behind Cousins, with the hope that he could take over the reins next fall 2024.

3. Does Minnesota use its first-round pick on a WR?

Adam Thielen has signed on with Carolina, leaving Justin Jefferson at the top of Minnesota’s wide receiver depth chart, followed by K.J Osborn and Jalen Reagor as second and third options, respectively. And while they aren’t exactly scrubs, neither Osborn nor Reagor has ever posted more than 60 receptions or 655 receiving yards in a season.

For April's draft, Minnesota holds the No. 23 pick in the first round, but will have to wait to select again until the third round (barring trade, of course). Most of the premium wideouts figure to be off the board by the time of their second pick, meaning that if the Vikings want a Quentin Johnston or Jordan Addison to pair with Jefferson, the first round presumably will be their only opportunity.

The only question then might be whether receiver (or running back or quarterback) is more important than plugging holes in the secondary or at linebacker.