Minnesota Vikings roster shown massive disrespect by Pro Football Focus
The Minnesota Vikings are still in the midst of their competitive rebuild. The first two years of said rebuild had the Vikings with a 20-14 record. Outside of a select few games, they were in every game and could have easily won more if one or two plays went the other way. With the current […]
The Minnesota Vikings are still in the midst of their competitive rebuild. The first two years of said rebuild had the Vikings with a 20-14 record. Outside of a select few games, they were in every game and could have easily won more if one or two plays went the other way.
With the current state of the Vikings roster, they are primed to be competitive throughout the course of the 2024 season. Ultimately, that's not how Jim Wyman and Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus see it. They ranked the Vikings with the 24th-best roster.
Pro Football Focus doesn't believe in the Vikings roster
The article from Wyman and Wasserman is interesting. They break down different elements of the roster without actually explaining why the roster is ranked where it is. They did put what the biggest strength and weakness was in 2023 without relaying it forward.
The biggest strength was the offensive line led by Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill at the tackle spots. The line was the most consistent it had been since the days of Steve Hutchinson and Bryant McKinnie.
The biggest weakness was the pass rush. Sure, things were inconsistent with Danielle Hunter as the top pass rusher, but that wasn't due to skill. It was due to fit. This year's group fits how Flores wants to play defense significantly better than last year's group. Why? They are significantly better at getting off the ball and generating pressure quicker. That will be a big factor in the success of the defense this season.
The X-factor is different from one we wrote about earlier this season. Wyman and Wasserman see the X-factor for the Vikings being quarterback Sam Darnold.
J.J. McCarthy’s season-ending knee injury is a massive blow to the franchise. Their starting quarterback job now belongs to Sam Darnold. He has the right playcaller and supporting cast to succeed, but can a player with a 59.7 career passing grade turn around his career?
It's easy to see why Darnold would be the X-factor. If he balls out, the Vikings could have a chance to win the NFC North. There is a lot of intrigue with how Darnold plays this season. That mainly stems from his immense arm talent and never having been supported with high-end talent and infrastructure. A great season could propel both Darnold and the Vikings forward in ways that could make things complicated.
The last piece of the puzzle in their piece was picking the Vikings to go under their 6.5 win total. The lack of belief in the Vikings, who won seven games despite a rotating carousel at quarterback.
The Vikings won seven games last season despite starting four different quarterbacks. However, they’re hoping for a level of play from Sam Darnold that we haven’t consistently seen before, and their best cornerback, Mekhi Blackmon, suffered a season-ending injury in training camp. Injuries have put a crimp in the optimism around the Vikings, and they could struggle as a result.
Where this piece misses the mark is having a team with multiple players at the top of their respective positions in Justin Jefferson, Darrisaw, and T.J. Hockenson along with some high-end talent at other positions like edge rusher, safety and running back, ranking as the 24th best roster in the league. They are behind the likes of the New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders, which feels insulting to what general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is building.
Don't get it twisted, the Vikings have a better roster than what Pro Football Focus believes.
How Week 1 of college football impacts Minnesota Vikings potential NFL Draft strategy
Could the Vikings take a wide receiver in the first round?
