Opinion

Minnesota Vikings could better their quarterback position with drafting Tebow

By Ashley Goettl

April 21, 2010

The NFL draft will begin on April 22nd and continue throughout the weekend. 

Unlike many other professional sports, the choices made at the draft can quite literally turn your franchise around.  The Minnesota Vikings have had quality draft picks over the years (with perhaps the exception being the selection of Travaris Jackson with the 7th overall pick).

But with the early success of Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin, the Vikings will once again be looking to come away from this year’s draft with low risk and high reward. 

But there will be added pressure to the Vikings this year as they were arguably one player, or one play for that matter, away from going to the Super Bowl.

But the argument can also be made that with a lower draft pick, the Vikings may not be looking for a player who will see much playing time as a rookie, but instead be looking towards a future that will continue to be bright.

With the high success of last year’s team, the Vikings will be picking lower in the first round with the 30th overall pick. 

The most obvious question the Vikings will have to answer this season is at the quarterback position. 

But with me being the optimist that I am, let’s assume that Brett Favre will return for at least one more season with the Vikings. 

With Favre at the helm and losing no key starters (Chester Taylor will be missed, but with Peterson even in half of his form, the Vikings running game will still be dominant) the Vikings will have all the tools to make another push for the playoffs.

This being said, we know that Favre will not be around forever, so the next question will be who will replace him, be it in one year or five? 

Jackson is not the answer, no matter how hard Brad Childress will argue his case, and so will I The Vikings do need to draft a quarterback, and the perfect fit would be former Florida quarterback, 2007 Heisman trophy winner, and 2-time National Champion, Tim Tebow. 

I will agree with most of Tebow’s critics that he is not ready to start in the NFL as a rookie, but he can become a successful NFL quarterback, even if it takes a few years, and with Favre at the helm for at least one more year (hopefully), there is no limit to the growth and knowledge that Tebow can come away with.

“This is the most competitive guy that you’ll meet,” said former coach and current Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden, who worked with Tebow recently.

“There is an urgency about him. There’s an unbelievable work ethic. He really wants to be a quarterback. I really believe that he knows he can play that position and develop into a winner in the NFL. He just needs somebody to work with him to tell him what to do, and he’ll get it done.”

Combine that with the fact that Tebow and Harvin used to be teammates, and they could once again be a deadly passer/receiver combo like when they were at Florida.

So while there is some risk in drafting Tim Tebow, in the long-run, he will be a strong fit for a team that will be successful for years to come.

Ashley Goettl is an alumna of UW-River Falls. She was editor of the Student Voice from fall semester 2011 to spring semester 2013.