Chicago Bears NFC North Rivals: A look at the Minnesota Vikings
In our third and final series looking at NFC North rival this off-season and their draft needs on April 25, we look at the Minnesota Vikings, who must find their quarterback of the future while also trying to keep Justin Jefferson happy.
The Minnesota Vikings find themselves at a crossroads this off-season. Following a successful 13-4 season in 2022 under head coach Kevin O'Connell's first season, they crashed to 7-10 last season.
Their fortunes completely changed when starting quarterback Kirk Cousins ruptured his Achilles tendon against the Green Bay Packers in Week 8. After going 2-0 with backup Joshua Dobbs the next two weeks, they suffer a meltdown going 1-6 in their last 7 games shuffling between Dobbs, Nick Mullins, and rookie Jaren Hall.
The Vikings were put in a tough spot after winning 13 games in 2022. It may have raised an unfair expectation entering last season with Cousins entering the final year of his contract rather than getting something in return for him. They let him leave this off-season as he signed a big contract with the Atlanta Falcons. They made a smart decision to move on from Cousins. But only if they get the right quarterback in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Getting the quarterback right is important to the future of this franchise because it will keep their star wide receiver Justin Jefferson from leaving the team. He reportedly turned down a $30 million extension last off-season. Jefferson will get paid no matter what the Vikings or elsewhere. This upcoming season, they will go with Sam Darnold as their starting QB and hope the rookie quarterback will be given time to sit and develop.
Let's look at what the Minnesota Vikings have been up to this off-season and what their draft needs are.