Getty Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings during a game against the Los Angeles Rams on December 26, 2021.
The Minnesota Vikings need to start thinking about the future at quarterback, even if their plans are to keep Kirk Cousins around for the next season or two.
The path forward is murky, partly because the Vikings should have a roster capable of winning the NFC North Division again next season if they don’t take a huge step back under center. However, extending Cousins long-term could permanently cement Minnesota one tier below the league’s top contenders as the quarterback approaches 35 years of age.
Straddling the fence between remaining competitive and revamping for the future is a hard line to walk in a sport with so much inherent parity, but the best way for the Vikings to do that is to look for a high-ceiling successor for Cousins in the coming NFL Draft. Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson is arguably the top option in this regard.
Richardson’s Raw Talent Makes Him Perfect QB Prospect For Vikings
GettyQuarterback Anthony Richardson of the Florida Gators celebrates a touchdown during a game against the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium on October 16, 2021 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Even after three years in college, Richardson remains a raw talent. He won’t be ready to step into a starting NFL role in his first year, which makes him an ideal candidate for the Vikings who probably won’t be looking for a starter to replace Cousins until 2024 or 2025.
Richardson needs to be coached up, but he already possesses all the things that no amount of coaching can develop — such as elite athletic ability, an unusually strong arm and a 6-foot, 4-inch, 235-pound frame.
Tyler Forness of USA Today’s Vikings Wire on Friday, February 17, noted Richardson’s physical gifts as among the reasons he should be one of the Vikings’ top targets heading into the draft.
“As a quarterback, you need to be great making plays within the structure of the play. What separates the great quarterbacks is thriving outside of it and creating plays,” Forness wrote. “When pressure comes at Richardson, he does a great job not panicking and evading the pressure, but what jumps off the screen is how Richardson [continues] to look down the field.”
Vikings Must Trade Up in First Round of NFL Draft to Pick Richardson
GettyQuarterback Anthony Richardson of the Florida Gators rolls out to pass during a game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field on November 5, 2022 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. listed Richardson as the 21st-ranked player across all positions in the 2023 draft class, but the QB is likely to be taken higher than that considering the need at the position across the league. In their latest mock drafts, both Kiper and ESPN’s Todd McShay project the Carolina Panthers will select Richardson with the No. 9 overall pick.
“Richardson will not be ready to start right away after just 13 college starts and with some rawness to his game, but his potential is off the charts,” McShay wrote on February 15. “Scouts are fascinated by his upside. It’d just come down to whether the Panthers believe they can fix his accuracy woes and develop his game to capitalize on those physical traits.”
Richardson completed just 53.8% of his passes for 2,549 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season. He also rushed the ball 103 times for 654 yards and nine scores, per Football Reference. Still, his upside under the tutelage of head coach Kevin O’Connell is something the Vikings should think long and hard about, as it could be worth moving up the board in the first-round of the draft.
Minnesota is picking at No. 24 overall, meaning the team would need to move up at least 15 spots to ensure they land Richardson. Vikings brass would have to be all in to spend the draft capital that kind of movement would require, which could be a harder sell considering the team has significant needs elsewhere on the roster, particularly on defense.
If Minnesota decides to wait on a quarterback, a player like Tanner McKee out of Stanford could make sense somewhere in the middle rounds.