The Vikings are primed to draft a first-round quarterback in next year’s draft after opting to let Kirk Cousins play out the final year of his contract.
That will land Minnesota somewhere in the middle of the 2024 draft and in striking distance of one of college football’s most enticing prospects — Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.
Sanders, coming off an overtime victory over Colorado State, was ranked the fourth-best prospect in the country by CBS Sports among a deep quarterback class. He’s 3-0 in the FBS after facing questions about whether he could play against top-tier competition. Sanders has thrown for 1,251 yards, 10 touchdowns and 1 interception during the Buffaloes climb to No. 19 in the Associated Press poll.
Realistically, the Vikings won’t sell the farm to trade up into top-five territory in the draft, but Sanders is a candidate who could slide outside the top 10 picks.
There is one caveat.
His father, Deion Sanders, is not too fond of the way the Vikings treated his friend and former coach, Mike Zimmer.
Pioneer Press columnist Charley Walter cautioned that Deion may not want Shedeur to land with the Vikings.
“The guess, though, is that the Vikings wouldn’t have the appetite for the circus atmosphere Shedeur’s father might bring along. And besides, Deion is close to Mike Zimmer, the fired Vikings coach, and that probably wouldn’t be a fit,” Walters wrote.
Deion Sanders’ Tension With Vikings Involves Rick Spielman
In the aftermath of the Vikings’ ousting of general manager Rick Spielman and Zimmer, Spielman went on a media tour, throwing subtle jabs at Zimmer’s coaching staff.
Appearing on Barstool Sports’ “Pro Football Show” in January 2022, Deion stood up for Zimmer, claiming there was a divide in the Vikings’ brain trust.
“Yeah, we talked,” Sanders said of Zimmer following the end of his eight-year tenure with the Vikings. “He and their GM hadn’t spoken in months. It was just a downward spiral.”
Sanders has also used his platform several times to call out Cousins for the Vikings’ downfall — but he appears to have separated the organization from the final decisions of the Zimmer-Spielman era.
Vikings Have an Ideal Situation for Shedeur Sanders or Another Rookie QB
GettyColorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders
Sanders’ vendetta with the Vikings should be gone with a new regime in the building, and the potential tools that could be at Shedeur’s disposal are enticing.
Justin Jefferson alone is enough reason for a rookie quarterback to be excited to land in Minnesota. A top-five tight end in T.J. Hockenson along with rising rookie dynamo Jordan Addison offers plenty of potential in the passing game.
The Vikings also have one of the NFL’s top tackle duos in Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw. While there are issues with the offensive interior line, the cap savings a rookie quarterback offers would allow Minnesota to fortify the offensive front with top free-agent talent — a reason why the Vikings have left a path to moving off Cousins open.
That should help bolster the running game and give the Vikings a more balanced attack that will take the load off a rookie quarterback’s shoulders.
Those needed improvements on the offensive line will give Kevin O’Connell all the tools needed to curate a developmental path for a future franchise quarterback.
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Deion Sanders to Steer Vikings Away From Star QB Son, Analyst Says