NFL Rumors: Bryce Young Was Targeted by Vikings in Pre-Draft Trade Talks

The Minnesota Vikings reportedly had an interest in moving up in the 2023 NFL draft to select Alabama quarterback Bryce Young had he not gone first overall to the Carolina Panthers.

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show (h/t Joe Nelson of Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation), Young was the one player, the Vikings were willing to be aggressive for with a trade up:

"They were making calls about moving up very high in the draft. My understanding is that was for one player and that was for Bryce Young, who ended up going No. 1. And so there went any possibility for Minnesota to go get him. They knew he wasn't going to be a Minnesota Viking, so the focus really turned toward getting another weapon for the offense in the draft."

When the Panthers decided to make Young their franchise quarterback as the No. 1 overall pick, the Vikings stood pat at No. 23 overall and took USC wide receiver Jordan Addison.

Kirk Cousins has been the Vikings' starting quarterback for the past five seasons, and while he has been maligned at times, he has largely been a productive player.

Cousins is a thee-time Pro Bowler in five seasons in Minnesota, including last season when he posted a career-best 13-4 record and completed 65.9 percent of his passes for 4,547 yards, 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

Overall, Cousins has gone 46-33-1 as a starter with the Vikes, and he has thrown for 20,934 yards, 153 touchdowns and 50 picks.

Given that the NFC lags far behind the AFC in terms of quarterback play and talent currently, Cousins is unquestionably among the top quarterbacks in the conference.

That has not translated into much playoff success for the Vikings, though, as they have made the playoffs twice and won only a single playoff game during Cousins' tenure.

Cousins will turn 35 years old prior to the start of the 2023 season, and he is only under contract through the 2023 campaign after signing a one-year, $35 million extension last year.

Because of that, it makes sense that the Vikings are at least considering their future at the quarterback position, although it is clear that no options better than Cousins have realistically presented themselves.

With no true opportunity to move up for Young, the Vikings turned their attention to putting more talent around Cousins, and they did so with the selection of Addison.

Minnesota already has arguably the best wideout in the NFL in Justin Jefferson, and although they parted ways with Adam Thielen, they replaced him with a far younger and more dynamic player in Addison.

The Vikings also boast running back Dalvin Cook, tight end T.J. Hockenson and wide receiver K.J. Osborn on offense, giving them one of the NFL's most talented units.

Pelissero noted that Cousins' future in Minnesota is uncertain due to his desire to sign a longer-term deal rather than another one-year extension.

If Cousins can win a playoff game or more in 2023, it could go a long way toward extending his stay in Minnesota, but anything less would perhaps compel the Vikings to commit to exploring other options.