First-round QB? Hey Vikings, don't pull a Packers move

Christian Darrisaw is a physically gifted tackle who can move and protect his quarterback.

Alijah Vera-Tucker is versatile but better suited to play guard, where he can create space for running backs to operate.

Kwity Paye is an explosive edge rusher who should, at least, make an early impact on passing downs.

These are players who could be available when it's time for the Vikings to make their selection with the 14th pick of the first round on Thursday's NFL draft.

The Vikings have the opportunity to address a longtime need on their offensive line or go after someone to boost their toothless pass rush. The last thing they should do is select a quarterback to eventually replace the overcriticized Kirk Cousins.

The draft is blessed with several quarterback prospects, with Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Justin Fields expected to go with the first three picks. Mac Jones and Trey Lance are expected to go later in the top half of the first round.

Some fans have wondered if the Vikings should pick Jones or Lance if one of them falls to 14, or even trade up in the first round to nab one.

A quarterback understudy is not going to close the gap between the Vikings and the Packers in 2021 or 2022. The focus needs to be about passing the Pack and returning to the playoffs during Cousins' final two years under contract.

Cousins passed for 4,265 yards and a career-high 35 touchdowns in 2020, and his production could be even better with an improved offensive line protecting him and blocking for running back Dalvin Cook. Cousins gets knocked for late-game mistakes, accumulating stats during garbage time and not being mobile. Even if there's some truth to that, he deserves better protection up front.

The defense will improve after a horrendous 2020 — caused by injuries, an inexperienced secondary and defensive tackle Michael Pierce opting out of the season because of COVID-19 — and push for the postseason.

Every decision made between today and kickoff needs to be about winning now.

You can look at your neighbors to the east for an example of how not to look too far ahead.

The Packers traded up four spots to No. 26 last year to select Jordan Love as the potential heir-apparent to Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers sat and watched Brett Favre for three years, so the Pack is hoping for a draft re-enactment here. If No. 12 leaves after 2021, Love will have two seasons remaining on his rookie contract to prove the move was worth it.

Instead of thinking post-Rogers, the Packers should have given him another option on offense, stayed at No. 30 and drafted wide receiver Tee Higgins, who went to Cincinnati with the 33rd overall selection and caught 67 passes for 908 yards. He would have been an excellent complement to Davante Adams. Instead, Green Bay lost in the NFC Championship Game, partly because of red zone struggles. Rodgers is stuck on one title in 13 seasons as the Packers starter. Drafting Love didn't help his chances in 2020.

Don't take your eyes off the present, Vikings.

It was Aug. 6 but early in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The Twins were leading woebegone Pittsburgh 5-3 in the late innings and on their way to an 11-2 start. But the Pirates scored a run in the eighth, then got after closer Taylor Rogers in the ninth.

After a leadoff single, Bryan Reynolds hit a double down the left-field line — because manager Rocco Baldelli doesn't like having his corner infielders guard the lines — and Kevin Newman hit a two-run single to walk-off the Twins.

That was a bad loss. There will be bad losses every season, including the clunker on Wednesday when Alexander Colome blew the save and the Twins committed two errors in the 10th in a 13-12 loss to the Athletics. The Twins have to play through it.

But there's one thing Baldelli needs to do right away. He's talked about the closing options he has in the bullpen. It's time for him to prove it by choosing someone other than Colome to close games in the short term.

Arizona forward Johan Larsson on Wednesday checked Wild defenseman Matt Dumba into goaltender Cam Talbot. Minutes later, Larsson was sent to the ice on a hit by Wild was-a-winger-now-a-center Ryan Hartman.

Hartman isn't afraid to get physical and can provide scoring depth. The Wild entered the weekend on a five-game winning streak and in a good spot to make the playoffs because of players like Hartman.

So it's not surprising that the Wild moved to sign Hartman, a former first-round pick of the Blackhawks, to a three-year, $5.1 million contract on Thursday. He was set to become a restricted free-agent after the season with arbitration rights.

Hartman, 26, has six goals and 12 assists and is headed to his fifth 20-point season while doing a little bit of everything for the Wild. He's been a right winger, but the Wild has used him in the middle, and he's responded by showing off some playmaking skills.

Prediction No. 1: The Twins are still trying to emerge from the wreckage of a West Coast trip. They will turn things around this week and enter May with double-digit wins.

Calling it now: The Timberwolves have won back-to-back games just once, their first two games of the season. They will win consecutive games one more time: May 9 and 11, when they play at Orlando and Detroit.

The 3-2 Pitch: Three observations and two predictions every Sunday.

LaVelle.Neal@startribune.com. • Twitter: @LaVelleNeal