The Minnesota Vikings have a major decision to make this offseason: will they keep Kirk Cousins at quarterback, or will they decide to move in a different direction?
Cousins has been under center for the Vikings since 2018, but he will be 36 years old at the start of next season and is coming off of a torn Achilles.
For those reasons, Minnesota may be understandably reluctant to re-sign Cousins, who is slated to hit free agency in March.
So, if the Vikings ultimately decide to move on from Cousins, what will they do?
Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department thinks the Vikings should trade their 2024 first-round draft pick (11th overall) plus their second-rounder (No. 42) to the Tennessee Titans for the seventh overall selection. This would allow Minnesota to take LSU signal-caller Jayden Daniels.
But why the Titans and the seventh pick?
Bleacher Report speculates that Daniels will probably not be available at No. 11, particularly considering that the quarterback-needy Atlanta Falcons pick eighth overall. Meanwhile, Tennessee seems to be prepared to roll with Will Levis long term, so it won’t be itching to take Daniels at No. 7.
Daniels just won the Heisman Trophy after throwing for 3,182 yards, 40 touchdowns and just four interceptions while completing 72.2 percent of his passes. In addition, he racked up 1,134 yards and 10 scores on the ground, averaging a robust 8.4 yards per carry.
The 23-year-old is an immensely talented dual threat quarterback, but because USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye are widely considered the two best quarterback prospects in this upcoming draft class, Daniels may slip to seventh overall depending on what happens in front of the Titans.
If the Vikings are able to move up and take Daniels, they will have their potential quarterback of the future throwing passes to superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson—or at least Minnesota hopes—for 2024 and beyond.
The Vikings went just 7-10 this past season, largely due to injuries.
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