Coach Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings are currently in the hunt for their future franchise quarterback, following the unexpected departure of former starter Kirk Cousins, who surprised the organization by joining the Atlanta Falcons during the offseason.
Cousins’ absence was particularly challenging for the team during the recently concluded 2023-24 NFL season, as he missed over half of the games due to a debilitating Achilles injury. This forced O’Connell to rely on a diverse group of backup quarterbacks to navigate through the season.
However, there was optimism within the Vikings organization that Cousins would return fully recovered and ready to lead the team for the upcoming 2024-25 season.
Now, as attention naturally shifts towards the upcoming NFL Draft in April, recent comments made by O’Connell on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show suggest that the team may be inclined to target their next quarterback during the event.
O’Connell stated, as reported by Pat McAfee on X (formerly known as Twitter), “I think it’s important that if you end up falling in love with multiple quarterbacks in the draft, that’s an even better thing.
You know, especially when you did something like we did to acquire pick 23, really for the flexibility of what we think is a really good draft. You know everybody’s making a big point about the quarterback position. I think that’s real. Two picks, this is a, I should say, very deep draft.”
Certainly, numerous analysts have highlighted the 2024 NFL Draft class as exceptionally talented, particularly in terms of quarterback prospects. Players such as Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, JJ McCarthy, and several others are expected to be drafted early due to their high potential and skill sets.
Heading into the 2023 season, the Vikings aimed to build upon their relatively successful 2022 campaign. Despite making the playoffs the previous year, their hopes were dashed with a disappointing home loss to the New York Giants in the Wild Card round of the NFC playoffs.
Instead, Cousins suffered an Achilles tear, and star wide receiver Justin Jefferson battled injuries throughout the season, making 2023 a challenging year for coach O’Connell and his staff. There were moments of hope, notably when Joshua Dobbs, acquired from the Arizona Cardinals as Cousins’ backup, led the team to a surprising road victory against the Atlanta Falcons.
However, Dobbs’ performance declined rapidly, dashing Minnesota’s playoff aspirations.
Now, the Vikings’ scouting department embarks on a crucial draft process. While top prospects like Daniels, Williams, and Maye are likely to be selected before Minnesota’s pick, players such as McCarthy or even Michael Penix, who recently guided the Washington Huskies to the National Championship Game, could still be available and could potentially bolster the team.
