The biggest hole for the Minnesota Vikings heading into 2017
By Adam Carlson
The Minnesota Vikings worked hard this offseason to fill the biggest needs the team has, but what is one spot where they are weakest heading into 2017?
There is no question that the Minnesota Vikings went all in during the offseason to be as prepared as possible for the 2017 NFL season. They spent a lot in free agency and even traded up in the draft when talented players started to fall.
But even with all that hard work, there are still some spots that might be weaker than others. And Bleacher Report took a look at each team to determine what their biggest weakness is heading into the new season.
For the Vikings, author Brent Sobleski chose defensive tackle. In particular, he feels like the spot next to Linval Joseph could be a major problem for Minnesota unless one of the new faces steps up in a big way.
Here is what he had to say about the hole created by the absence of Sharrif Floyd:
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"“As good as the Vikings defense was at points last season, the unit finished 20th overall against the run. Running backs didn’t exactly gouge Minnesota, but it was already a little soft in the middle.Joseph is a monster, but the Vikings can’t hide their other defensive tackle. Whoever wins the starting spot will be tested at the point of attack on a regular basis.”"
Of course, there were several other spots that Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski could have chosen, including linebacker, safety, right guard, kicker, punter, or even kick returner. But instead he’s focusing on a spot with a lot of depth and competition.
Tom Johnson, Datone Jones, Shamar Stephen, Will Sutton, and rookie Jaleel Johnson are all individuals who could step up and grab a starting job this season with excellent preseason efforts, and that competition could bring out the best in everyone.
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Hopefully, the Vikings don’t struggle as mightily against the run in 2017 and find a great player to put beside Linval Joseph to force teams into passing the ball more often, where the strength of the Minnesota defense resides.