Quarterback of the future is the singular most-important player that the Minnesota Vikings can add this season. Kirk Cousins is playing on the final year of his contract and an extension doesn’t feel like it’s coming anytime soon.
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter sent the Vikings their quarterback of the future by having them trade up to the 10th overall pick for Kentucky quarterback Will Levis.
Minnesota takes a big swing by moving up for Levis, the strong-armed passer who needs more consistency in his game from the pocket. The Vikings hope that Levis learns enough from Kirk Cousins (who’s entering a contract year) to eventually take the reins from the veteran in 2024. To move down 13 spots, Philly receives a 2023 Day 2 pick (No. 87 overall) and a first-rounder next year.
A third round pick this year and next year’s first round pick feels like a fair trade to get the guy to lead your franchise for the next decade. Of course, that would leave the Vikings without a day two pick this year, but you can live with that.
Levis compares directly to Kirk Cousins, except he has a howitzer of an arm that can make throws similar to Josh Allen. A year sitting behind Cousins and learning would be ideal to help Levis grow and develop.