Ranking Every Minnesota Vikings Player: No. 1 is a slam dunk in Justin Jefferson with other talented players in the top 5

We have finally made it to the top five Minnesota Vikings players in our countdown. Ranking all 91 players on the roster is a challenging exercise in itself, but it becomes an interesting one in itself, especially when you get to the top. Within the top five itself, there is a likely consensus at one […]

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Dec 8, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) against the Atlanta Falcons during the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

We have finally made it to the top five Minnesota Vikings players in our countdown. Ranking all 91 players on the roster is a challenging exercise in itself, but it becomes an interesting one in itself, especially when you get to the top.

Within the top five itself, there is a likely consensus at one and two, but the next three feel up to interpretation. That is arguably a good thing, as general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has built a really good roster of players during his short tenure. Oddly enough, only one in the top five has been brought in by the current general manager with the other four being top 64 picks of previous GM Rick Spielman.

This group is a very talented one, and it could sincerely change after just a few months.

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5. S Harrison Smith

This might be the most controversial player in the top five. Smith is bound for the Pro Football Hall of Fame when his career eventually ends, but he's still playing some really good football. 

He doesn't have the same amount of juice he once had, but his intelligence and instincts are second to none, even going into his 14th season. Those elements allow him to still be this great player, especially getting the back end organized with their complex coverages.

4. RT Brian O'Neill

The tough part for O'Neill isn't that he's great. It's more so that he's at a position with an all-timer in Lane Johnson of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Detroit Lions are drawing up plays to put the ball in the hands of Penei Sewell.

Make no mistake about it, O'Neill is a fantastic player in his own right. He's been a great pass blocker since he took the field in week two of his rookie season in Green Bay. The Vikings have been able to count on him throughout the majority of his tenure, with just a few games missed due to injury.

3. EDGE Jonathan Greenard

Greenard has been the biggest win for Adofo-Mensah during his tenure as general manager. He prioritized Greenard over Danielle Hunter and it felt like an odd decision in real time. What most should have seen was how much of a better fit he was for Brian Flores' defense.

Greenard nearly made second-team All Pro with his 12.0 sack season, but it was his versatility and explosiveness on all three downs that shined in more ways than one. Having that kind of production was huge for the Vikings, and it looks good to project it forward.

2. LT Christian Darrisaw

There are quite a few really good left tackles in the National Football League. I don't think I'd take any of them over Darrisaw right now.

He's entering his fifth season in the NFL and his potential has yet to be tapped into. He's also been somewhat overlooked due to suffering a torn ACL in week eight this past season. He's likely going to start the season at left tackle, especially since he didn't start training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list.

1. WR Justin Jefferson

This one was a slam dunk. There isn't a singular better player at the wide receiver position than Jefferson. He holds five National Football League records, all of which are receiving yards. Including most yards per game in the history of the league, 9.0 yards more than second place Ja'Marr Chase.

His route running is among the best I've ever seen at the position, and has great hands to pair with it. It's not often that players command defenses to completely shift everything they do to stop you, but Jefferson has that kind of gravity.

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