The Minnesota Vikings have reportedly met with Anthony Richardson, the quarterback who many believe has the most upside of any signal-caller in this year’s NFL Draft.
“The Vikings are doing their due diligence on this quarterback class. There may be another quarterback name that emerges in terms of them meeting formally with, but I can tell you as I sit here Thursday morning that they have met formally with Anthony Richardson of the Florida Gators,” said KSTP-TV’s Darren Wolfson Thursday morning on SKOR North’s Mackey & Judd.
Wolfson says the Vikings will have formal meetings with around 40 draft prospects, with each player entering the Vikings’ suite and meeting face-to-face for “around 18 minutes apiece.”
Richardson is one of four quarterbacks projected by most to go in the first round on April 27, with the others being Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Will Levis of the Kentucky Wildcats.
NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein has the Vikings among eight potential landing spots for Richardson, though he calls Minnesota a long shot with just a 5% chance.
“I think this would be a sneaky-interesting landing spot for Richardson — if he were to make it all the way to No. 23, which seems like a long shot in itself,” Zierlein wrote. “Kirk Cousins would clearly be the starter in 2023, which would allow Richardson a chance to take mental reps for an entire season before potentially taking the reins in 2024 with some talented pieces around him.”
Zierlein isn’t alone in loosely connecting the Vikings to a quarterback in the draft. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer did the same in a recent Q&A column.
“I think Kirk Cousins will be the Vikings’ quarterback in 2023, and I think, certainly, they’d consider doing another one-year extension with him this offseason,” Breer wrote. “But I also believe that Cousins’s age (he’ll be 35 in Week 1) and contract situation make the Vikings a quiet contender to take a quarterback in April.”
The only realistic way the Vikings take Richardson is if he falls to the 23rd pick. That’s possible, but as Zierlein said, it might be a long shot.
Richardson will throw at the NFL Combine on Saturday, so his draft stock could go up or down based on the results. Levis and Stroud are also going to throw, while Young is expected to wait until Alabama’s pro day to show off his arm.
Related: 5 quarterbacks the Vikings could realistically take in the NFL Draft
Related: The future of the Vikings, Part 1: Quarterback
