Sep 18, 2022; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Shaquill Griffin (26) reacts against the Indianapolis Colts during the fourth quarter at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports.
The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by VikingsTerritory. Today is the March 20th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to DustinBakerNFL@gmail.com.
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.
Answer: Not drafting a quarterback until Round 3 or later.
Would it be great if the Vikings could draft two 1st-Round defensive players? Absolutely. But that’s a strategy to pursue if Kirk Cousins were still the team’s QB1. He is not. He left. He’s a Falcon.
Minnesota, without any debates, needs a 1st-Round quarterback from this draft — and one of the Top 4 in Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, or J.J. McCarthy. Realistically, it will probably be Maye or McCarthy.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah can’t afford to escape this draft without a 1st- or 2nd-Round quarterback. If he does, then the trade with Houston Texans will look dumb in hindsight. That trade was conducted to flip Houston’s pick into another trade for Maye or Daniels.
Answer: Yes, probably.
This is the Vikings’ cornerback room at the moment:
Griffin will likely climb the pecking order this summer and achieve meaningful playing time in 2024. In theory, Minnesota could sign Xavien Howard or pick a splashy corner early in the draft, but the current group feels sufficient in Vikings-speak.
They have five for-sure playable cornerbacks on the roster. Now it’s Brian Flores’ job to coach them up.
A: Trent Sherfield — hopefully with a rookie from Round 4 or so ready to emerge.
Brandon Powell is best suited for WR4, though he’ll pop up for WR3 theatrics a few times per year. See: the Atlanta game last year.
Sherfield is the safest bet for a Week 1 WR3, but let’s hope the Vikings draft someone like Troy Franklin, Javon Baker, or Jamari Thrash in five weeks to blossom as a young and productive WR3.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.