Kirk Cousins was under constant pressure during his first season in Minnesota.
While the Vikings would rather not have that be the case, he did OK outside of the pocket, finishing with a Pro Football Focus grade of 67.8, a mark that topped the NFC North.
Overall, Cousins’ first season was a disappointment in Minnesota, but it’s hard to really pin all of that on him.
His numbers were solid. In 2018, Cousins threw for 4,298 yards and a career-high 30 touchdowns. However, his 10.1 yards per completion marked a career low, even if his 70.1 completion percentage was a career high. That’s not quite Sam Bradford checkdown level, but the Vikings want to push the ball down the field more.
The Vikings have made a slew of moves this offseason to help the offensive line, including signing Josh Kline and bringing back Brett Jones.
I’d also expect the team to draft an offensive lineman with their first-overall pick, depending on how the draft goes.
Overall, Cousins finished with a PFF grade of 79.3 in 2018, a mark that ranked 15th among quarterbacks in the NFL.
