Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings have been one of the NFL’s most disappointing teams over the first quarter of the 2023 campaign, getting off to a 2-4 start.

On top of that, their pair of wins came at the expense of two of the NFL’s worst teams in the Carolina Panthers (who remain winless) and Chicago Bears (who are 1-5).

The Vikings’ sudden struggles could signal an end to the Kirk Cousins era in Minnesota, as Cousins is 35 years old and is slated to hit free agency this offseason.

Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus thinks Cousins’ perfect successor is currently playing collegiate football for the University of North Carolina.

That is, 21-year-old quarterback Drake Maye.

“The dream is Drake Maye, a dual-threat quarterback with true NFL arm talent,” wrote Sikkema. “Maye has recorded one of the top big-time throw rates in the FBS over the past two seasons (7.8%, fifth). The idea of Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell — a former quarterbacks coach and NFL quarterback himself — getting a chance to groom Maye as his franchise signal-caller is enticing.”

Maye is currently in his sophomore season at North Carolina and has thrown for 1,902 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions while completing 68.9 percent of his passes over the first six games of 2023. He has also carried the ball 62 times for 184 yards.

The Charlotte native was also terrific in his freshman campaign a year ago, registering 4,321 yards, 38 touchdowns and seven picks while completing 66.2 percent of his throws. Additionally, Maye rushed for 698 yards while reaching the end zone seven times.

Maye, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 229 pounds, is considered one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft class.

The problem for the Vikings is they may not end up being bad enough to have the ability to draft Maye.

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