6 burning Minnesota Vikings questions from DL vs. CB to Anthony Edwards in the NFL
The Minnesota Vikings are entering their mini-bye with a 5-2 record, but the vibes are not doing well right now. They lost their last two games in tough fashion but there was still a lot of good in those two games. The Vikings offense is still explosive in the passing game and ranks first in […]
The Minnesota Vikings are entering their mini-bye with a 5-2 record, but the vibes are not doing well right now. They lost their last two games in tough fashion but there was still a lot of good in those two games.
The Vikings offense is still explosive in the passing game and ranks first in EPA/dropback. Even with that, the defense has raised a lot of questions surrounding this team.
I took questions from the fanbase and they delivered in a big way.
Cornerback over everything?
The two most important positions that need improvement this offseason are cornerback and defensive line. They need better coverage and pressure on the interior. Is one more important than the other? That depends on who you ask.
Some believe that pass rush is the most important thing on defense while others will say coverage is more important. Both have their own merits so it's up to you which to prioritize.
What happened against the Rams on Thursday was a combination of no interior pressure and poor coverage. If you fix one of those, you'll see a major improvement. The big thing is not having both of them being a major liability.
Salary cap health ahead of trade deadline
This is a great question. As far as the trade deadline, I've written quite a bit about it, including top-tier players to target and some that won't cost as much. Even after the Rams game, it's not worth giving up on the Vikings just yet.
The Vikings should seriously consider making a trade at the deadline to help the team both this year and beyond. The style of trade would be similar to what the Vikings did to acquire T.J. Hockenson back at the trade deadline in 2022.
The Vikings have plenty of salary cap space to make a move as well. They have $10.5 million in salary cap space this season with a projected $75.5 million in 2025 per Over The Cap. The Vikings could also restructure the contract of Brian O'Neill, Byron Murphy Jr. or a couple of others if they really need more salary cap space.
NFL Draft positions
I think the easiest answer here is a defensive tackle. That means a player like Michigan's Mason Graham would fall to them when he is expected to go in the top five. His pass-rush acumen would be a huge addition to the Vikings' defensive front.
Selfishly, I would love for a top wide receiver to fall to the Vikings and they create a super group of weapons for J.J. McCarthy to throw to during his rookie contract. Would it be a luxury to add Tetairoa McMillan? Oh absolutely, but it would rule and make Justin Jefferson's life easier.
DL and OL questionFor
For the first question, I think you can justify a defensive tackle in both the first round and with a trade. They need at least two defensive linemen to have a really good unit and that would be a great way to fortify it.
The second question is something that I've opined about a lot. Before the injury to Christian Darrisaw, the Vikings had a near unanimous top-10 unit across the industry. After the Darrisaw injury, we will see how they adapt and adjust.
Ingram to me has been fine. Yes, there are some warts, but I don't think the grades and narrative are reflective of his play this season. He's played much better than the PFF grades would suggest. Is it perfect? Absolutely not, but O'Connell is asking the Vikings to play on hard mode and they are delivering.
One stat shows Vikings’ perceived offensive line issues aren’t what you think
Looking at the advanced metrics help explain the offensive line issues
Most surprising part of the Vikings' start
As weird as it is to say, I don't think there is a singular thing that is surprising. Sam Darnold being good? Somewhat expected by me, as was the defense taking a step forward and players like Jonathan Greenard being a great fit for this defense.
However, when you combine everything together that in itself is the biggest surprise, nobody expected that kind of success across the board and it's really impressive that the Vikings were able to accomplish that. Nobody expected a potential Super Bowl run and, even though Darrisaw is now out for the season, it's still in the realm of possibility.
Anthony Edwards in the NFL?
Easy, linebacker/rover. He's so aggressive and calculated that I would let him use his athleticism and aggressiveness to his advantage and hit running backs in the hole. That sounds like a lot of fun to me.
Top tier players the Vikings need to target by using their big time bargaining chip on ahead of the NFL Trade Deadline
These players could make a major impact on the Vikings
