Minnesota has some enticing project players, some of whom could end up being starters and stars in the league down the road.

The most enticing long-term player on the Vikings is Kellen Mond, a quarterback taken in the third round of 2021. Mond developing could force the Vikings to move on from Kirk Cousins down the road, in order to utilize a dual-threat quarterback on a cheaper deal.

ESPN’s Courtney Cronin posed a question for the Vikings, and it had to do with both Mond and Cousins.

Cronin asked: What does the future hold for quarterback Kirk Cousins after the Vikings drafted Kellen Mond? Cronin wrote:

“Cousins is not at risk of losing his starting status this season after the Vikings drafted Mond 66th overall. Mond, a four-year Texas A&M starter, has a long way to go before Minnesota could think about making a change at quarterback, which is why he ended up in the perfect spot given the time he’ll have to develop. Nonetheless, the Vikings have the building blocks of a contingency plan should Cousins, 32, underperform in 2021. That makes this a make-or-break season for Cousins, who has two years remaining on the $66 million extension he signed in March 2020, most of which is fully guaranteed.”

Look, Mond still has to develop. In the third round of drafts, there are a lot more quarterbacks who serve as backups than there are players like Russell Wilson. However, Mond does have some tools that make him an interesting player to watch over time. And the Vikings will certainly be watching.