Which Minnesota Vikings player has the most to prove in 2018?

Which player on the Minnesota Vikings roster needs to do the most to prove himself to the team during the 2018 NFL season?

In the NFL, every player has to prove themselves on every play. However, there are those players who have expectations that accompany their play on the field, meaning they must meet or exceed these standards to be considered a success. The Minnesota Vikings have a few of those players who need to show their worth during the 2018 NFL season.

Recently, Zach Kruse from Bleacher Report released an article choosing one player from each team who has the most to prove. In the piece, he chooses quarterback Kirk Cousins as the representative for Minnesota.

It makes sense to choose Cousins considering the 3 year, $84,000,000 fully-guaranteed contract the former Washington Redskins passer inked with the Vikings in free agency this offseason and is tasked with taking a Minnesota team that came one game from the Super Bowl to the next level.

"“With great power comes great responsibility. Cousins now must prove he’s both worth the contract and capable of being the final piece of the Vikings’ Super Bowl puzzle.”"

On the other hand, Cousins has established himself as a stable quarterback. Each of the last three years, he has thrown for over 4,000 yards and completed over 64% of his pass attempts while having at least a two-to-one touchdown to interception ratio.

Minnesota Vikings

It is unlikely that he will struggle badly enough to be a hindrance to the team, And a three-year fully-guaranteed deal ensures that he will get multiple shots at bringing the Vikings to the promised land, meaning he doesn’t have nearly as much to prove as Bleacher Report may believe.

Instead, the player with the most to prove on Minnesota’s roster is wide receiver Laquon Treadwell.

The Vikings invested a first-round draft selection in Treadwell during the 2016 NFL Draft and he has since struggled to produce on the field. While he is entering his third season in Minnesota, the team will need to make the decision on his fifth-year option following this year.

At this point, Minnesota will likely refuse his fifth-year option. Treadwell will need to prove he is worth a spot on the roster despite the emergence of Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen and signing of Kendall Wright in free agency. If he can put together a decent season and could change their minds, but it would take an exceptional output to do so.

Next: Projecting the Vikings' final 2018 roster (Post-draft)

Which player do you think has the most to prove to the Minnesota Vikings during the 2018 NFL season? Is it Kirk Cousins, Laquon Treadwell, or a different member of the team? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.