Vikings Could Make Move in NFL Draft to Target QB, per Report

Minnesota could reportedly target a quarterback in the draft with Kirk Cousins’s future uncertain.

The Minnesota Vikings could be among the teams interested in selecting a quarterback during the first round of April’s NFL draft, according to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. 

Kirk Cousins’s contract is due to expire in March, and the 35-year-old is coming off a season-ending Achilles injury. Fowler reports there’s some belief around the league that the Vikings, who currently hold the No. 11 pick, could look to move up into the top three in the draft and take a quarterback amid the uncertainty surrounding Cousins’s future with the franchise.

“People around the league are keeping an eye on the Minnesota Vikings at No. 11, too. They did a lot of quarterback homework last offseason and could eventually target one high in the draft with free agent Kirk Cousins' future in Minnesota uncertain,” wrote Fowler on Sunday. 

In late January, Cousins told Sky Sports that he was eager to get contract talks started with Minnesota, but doesn’t expect negotiations to begin until March, closer to when his current deal expires.

Cousins has spent the last six years with the Vikings and was enjoying a strong seasons in 2023 prior to suffering the Achilles injury, having thrown 18 touchdowns and five interceptions in eight games.