Breaking news: 10 Reasons to Move away from Kirk Cousins

On today’s edition of VikesNow, Dustin Baker provides 10 reasons why the Vikings should move on from Kirk Cousins this offseason.

Disclaimer: This is not a prediction by any means, Dustin is merely making the case as to why Minnesota should consider moving on from Cousins.

Dustin Baker is the host of VikesNow, a show that provides bidiurnal analysis of the Minnesota Vikings. Former Vikings offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, PurplePTSD managing editor Josh Frey, Queen of Vikings Twitter Sal Spice, Vikings Territory writer Janik Eckardt, VikesNow contributor Raun Sawh, social media sensation Dakota Koep, and Daily Norseman writer Tyler Ireland are among the regular guests.

Lions’ success emphasizes importance of upcoming NFL draft for Vikings

The Detroit Lions — yes, those Detroit Lions — are one win away from a Super Bowl appearance. The NFC North champions beat the Rams and Buccaneers at home in the first two rounds of the playoffs, and all that stands between them and a trip to Las Vegas is this Sunday’s conference championship game against the 49ers. How they got to this point should serve as a reminder that when it comes to team-building in the NFL, the draft reigns supreme. Just look at the success the Lions have had in the draft since hiring GM Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell in 2021:

That’s ten of Detroit’s 22 starters from Sunday’s divisional round win over Tampa Bay, plus two other players — Gibbs and Branch — who are key pieces as rookies. Sewell, Hutchinson, LaPorta, and St. Brown all earned Pro Bowl and/or All-Pro honors this year. Barnes had the game-winning interception on Sunday. Their April success goes back earlier, too. The non-Sewell starters on the offensive line were all also drafted in the top three rounds by the Lions (Taylor Decker and Graham Glasgow in 2016, Frank Ragnow in 2018, Jonah Jackson in 2020).

The Lions have gotten to where they are because they’ve crushed the draft, then filled out their roster with free agent signings like Cameron Sutton, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, David Montgomery, and Alex Anzalone — and even some smart waiver claims (Josh Reynolds, John Cominsky). They also weren’t afraid to bottom out and build this thing from the ground up. Detroit was bad in the latter years of the Matthew Stafford era, going 14-33-1 from 2018-20. That put them in position to draft T.J. Hockenson, Jeff Okudah, and Sewell with top-ten picks (Okudah was a bust, but it didn’t matter much). In 2021, with their new regime taking over, they traded Stafford to the Rams for Jared Goff and a haul of picks.

They won just three games that year, took Hutchinson second overall, and started 1-6 in 2022, flipping Hockenson to the Vikings at the trade deadline for a couple Day 2 picks. Since November 2022 began, they’ve gone 22-7. The lesson here for the Vikings and other teams is that there’s no clearer path to success than building through the draft. Landing a franchise QB in the draft is the optimal formula, but the Lions have proved that there are other ways to acquire a quarterback to lead your team. They’re a win away from the Super Bowl because they have a complete roster that isn’t totally reliant on Goff.

Why are the Vikings, as a franchise, trailing the Lions right now? Look no further than the draft. Four whole classes from 2016-19 produced Dalvin Cook, Brian O’Neill, Garrett Bradbury, and not much else. Rick Spielman’s last two drafts (2020 and ’21) were major successes in that they brought the Vikings Justin Jefferson and Christian Darrisaw, but they were inconsistent as a whole. Quality players were found on Day 3 (D.J. Wonnum, K.J. Osborn, Josh Metellus, Camryn Bynum), but the seven other picks in the first three rounds turned into Jeff Gladney, Ezra Cleveland, Cameron Dantzler, Kellen Mond, Chazz Surratt, Wyatt Davis, and Pat Jones II. Only Jones remains on the roster from that group.

Then there’s Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s first draft in 2022, which was an abject disaster. Lewis Cine, Andrew Booth Jr., and Brian Asamoah II were all picked in the top 70 and have barely gotten on the field. Ed Ingram and Akayleb Evans have at least played, but neither has emerged as even a reliable starter. Adofo-Mensah landing Jordan Addison, Mekhi Blackmon, and Ivan Pace Jr. in 2023 provides reason for optimism; now he needs to do it again.

The 2024 draft is an absolutely crucial one for the Vikings and their future. The draft is the single biggest reason why they’ve fallen behind the Lions (and Packers) in the NFC North. If they’re going to get to where they want to go — which is where Detroit is now — they have to hit on their picks at a higher rate. It’s not that simple, but at the same time, is sort of is that simple.