With Kirk Cousins scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2023 season, only Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall, their second of two fifth-round picks, are scheduled to be on the roster this time next year. Penix Jr. flourished in his first season with the Huskies, as he threw for 4,641 yards, 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions. With another strong season, he could hear his name called early.
I thought about Washington's Michael Penix Jr. here, too, but I ultimately went with McCarthy, who threw for 22 TDs and five interceptions last season in Michigan. There are a handful of passers who could rise into Round 1 -- Penix, Oregon's Bo Nix and Texas' Quinn Ewers, to name a few -- but McCarthy is intriguing because of his 6-foot-3 frame, running ability, accuracy and arm talent. In Minnesota, Kirk Cousins is entering the final year of his deal, and the team could move on. Despite winning 13 games last season, the Vikings were outside the top 20 in QBR (49.9). McCarthy could be the future for a team like Minnesota if he takes the next step in 2023.
At 6 feet 3 and 295 pounds, Newton is a quick upfield penetrator with athletic twitch and a relentless play style. If he can improve his snap anticipation, he should be even more productive as a fourth-year player in 2023.
It will be fascinating to see what Minnesota does at quarterback moving forward, with incumbent starter Kirk Cousins entering the final year of his deal. Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell, a former quarterback himself, could be intrigued by the high-octane passing game Penix has provided the Huskies since transferring from Indiana.
The Minnesota Vikings need to get younger at the edge position, so they take a talented prospect from Alabama. Dallas Turner has the ideal size (6-foot-4, 245 pounds) and length of an NFL pass rusher. He has put up solid numbers with 12.5 career sacks. He should be able to build on a productive 2022 campaign and situate himself nicely as a top-15 pick.
Ewers disappointed in his first season as a starter after being one of the highest-rated quarterback recruits ever. He still flashed his ridiculous arm talent, as his 6.6% big-time throw rate ranked sixth among Power Five quarterbacks. The issue is his decision-making and accuracy. Ewers' 65.2% adjusted completion rate was the eighth-worst in the Power Five. If he can rein it in, Ewers can join Caleb Williams and Drake Maye at the top of the draft.
Harrison Smith is 34 years old and the Minnesota secondary around him is unimpressive. Mukuba brings a high-ceiling replacement who can track down deep balls and erase opposing WR1s with supreme athleticism and awareness.
The Vikings picked young cornerbacks Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans in the draft last year before taking Mekhi Blackmon and Jay Ward last week. But that still shouldn't dissuade GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah from adding King — whose performance screams NFL corner even if his 5-11, 190-pound frame doesn't — to a secondary that ranked 31st in yards allowed last season.
