With Adrian Peterson out of Minnesota, the Minnesota Vikings will have some new faces leading the backfield. Who will lead the Vikes in rushing in 2017?
The running game was historically bad last year for the Minnesota Vikings. Some new faces will lead the way this year, but can they help fix the rushing game? Or will it be the same in 2017 as it was in 2016?
In 2016, Jerick McKinnon led the Vikings in rushing with 539 yards on 159 carries. That’s just a measly 3.4 yards per carry. Matt Asiata, though, led Minnesota in rushing touchdowns with 6 pay dirt visits.
A lot of the rushing issues (if not all) can be attributed to a poor offensive line. Assuming the offensive line will be even marginally better than last year, Vikings’ fans can expect an improvement in the rushing game.
With rookie Dalvin Cook and free agent pickup Latavius Murray, the backfield in Minnesota will look totally different this year. Here are my statistical predictions for the Minnesota backfield in 2017:
Dalvin Cook
The rookie out of Florida State is getting a lot of hype coming into this year, and for good reason. Dalvin Cook has tremendous speed and power, and should have a solid impact in his first NFL season.
He has already won the starting role in Minnesota, and should be a solid 3-down back. Expect him to work well between the tackles and break out a few big plays on the edges.
Rushing Attempts: 207
Rushing Yards: 924
Rushing Touchdowns: 7
Latavius Murray
Murray had a solid season with Oakland a year ago. He led the team with 12 rushing touchdowns despite only having 788 yards on the ground. Murray displays a solid amount of power and should get a lot of goal line work in Minnesota.
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Expect Latavius Murray to share some of the workload with rookie Dalvin Cook at the beginning of the year. As the season progresses, though, Cook should secure the number one spot. That doesn’t mean Murray won’t get his opportunities, though, especially in the red zone.
Rushing Attempts: 127
Rushing Yards: 497
Rushing Touchdowns: 4
Jerick McKinnon
McKinnon’s role in 2017 will see a significant drop. He started the majority of the 2016 season due to Adrian Peterson being injured. For having an abysmal offensive line, he made the most of the opportunity. Unfortunately for him, Cook and Murray will be getting the bulk of the running back work.
Still expect Jerick McKinnon to make appearances in the backfield, though, and occasionally in the slot. Most of the work he will get should be in the passing game, as he has proven himself as a solid pass-catching back.
Rushing Attempts: 39
Rushing Yards: 110
Rushing Touchdowns: 1
Next: Who to Watch vs. the San Francisco 49ers
The rushing game for the Minnesota Vikings was all but terrible in 2016. New faces in the backfield and offensive line should give fans a reason to hope for a better campaign in 2017.