Vikings hint they could draft Kirk Cousins replacement

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah both hinted Thursday the team could draft a future replacement for current starting quarterback Kirk Cousins. 

"Ideally, you would like to have that person in that role developing behind a great player like Kirk, but I don’t think you ever sacrifice it being the right player," O’Connell explained, as shared by Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. "Regardless of the when, where, why, how, you can’t sacrifice that. You have to have ultra belief and connection on making that decision because it is such an important decision." 

Cousins restructured his contract for salary-cap purposes in March but remains in the final year of his deal. While the 34-year-old helped the 2022 Vikings win the NFC North division crown and notch a 13-4 regular-season record, he failed to guide the club past the New York Giants in a home playoff game. 

In total, Cousins has accumulated a lackluster 1-3 career record across his postseason starts. 

"Quarterback is the most important position in our sport," Adofo-Mensah added. "Ultimately, Kevin and I — these aren’t things you just kind of decide in the moment. You have to have plans, you have to have strategies, you have to have different ways of getting to that answer. We’ve had these conversations, they’re ongoing. There’s lots of different avenues in terms of addressing that position. I wouldn’t necessarily box us into just one." 

Over the past couple of weeks, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report, Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports and Tyler Forness of Vikings Wire/USA Today all suggested the Vikings could trade up from pick No. 23 to grab a quarterback in the first round of the draft on April 27. Forness predicted Minnesota may complete a blockbuster deal in order to acquire former Florida Gators signal-caller Anthony Richardson via the third-overall choice. 

"The 6-4 Richardson might have the highest ceiling of any prospect in this class," ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. wrote in his latest mock draft. "If he puts together all of his tools and isn't rushed into being the guy in Week 1, he could be a star." 

Assuming Kiper is correct, Richardson could be a perfect fit as a red-shirt option behind Cousins for the 2023 edition of the Vikings.