The Minnesota Vikings made major moves right after the end of the 2021 NFL season. Mike Zimmer is no longer the team’s head coach and Rick Spielman was relieved of his duties as general manager. Now, there are question marks surrounding Kirk Cousins’ future with the franchise and many believe that the Vikings could go a different direction.

Cousins has played well since joining the Vikings, but the future of the franchise could be changing very soon. After missing the playoffs this season, it is clear that changes are needed. Whether or not Cousins is part of the future is the biggest decision that Minnesota will need to make this offseason.

Pro Football Focus certainly thinks the Vikings could go the NFL Draft route to replace Cousins. They have Minnesota taking a quarterback in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft in their latest mock draft.

Pickett earned the highest PFF grade of any quarterback in this class, but it was so far an outlier from the rest of his career that it will give some pause. The Pitt star earned a 92.3 overall grade in 2021 after managing a mark of just 69.8 in 2020.

Pickett would be a very intriguing addition for the Vikings. In fact, it would be a selection that would allow the franchise to move on and trade Cousins immediately. The Pittsburgh standout is NFL ready and could end up being a superstar at the professional level.

During the 2021 season with Pittsburgh, Pickett ended up completing 67.2 percent of his pass attempts for 4,319 yards, 42 touchdowns, and seven touchdowns. He also picked up 241 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

Standing in at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, Pickett looks the part of an NFL quarterback. He has a strong arm, great football IQ, and accuracy to go along with it. Pickett isn’t the most athletic quarterback, but he is more than capable of making plays with his legs when opposing defenses give him the chance.

This is certainly an intriguing option for the Vikings. They may still choose to keep Cousins around for another season, but drafting Kenny Pickett would be a wise decision as well. Moving forward with a young quarterback is something that the Vikings should strongly consider.

Expect to hear a ton of rumors and speculation surrounding Minnesota’s quarterback situation as the offseason gets closer. Kirk Cousins has done a lot of good things for the Vikings, but his time may be running out.