Minnesota Vikings Power Rankings Review: 2018 Training Camp edition

The first batch of NFL Power Rankings for the 2018 NFL season has arrived and although the Minnesota Vikings are near the top, their placement is debatable.

Power rankings can be a lot of fun. Taking a look at how teams like the Minnesota Vikings rank among other teams in the league can be a lot of fun. However, they aren’t always an accurate gauge of how a team will perform.

Power rankings become even more interesting during the early stages of the season. Taking a look at the talent on the team’s roster, changes from the previous year, and then comparing them to other franchises can be fun, especially when your favorite team is near the top.

Let’s take a look at some of the recently published power rankings from around the NFL and where they have Minnesota ranked among the other teams in the league!

Ranked 1st

• Bleacher Report – Expert Consensus: “This is a team built to do one thing: get payback against the Eagles and advance to Atlanta for Super Bowl LIII.” Previous rank: -n/a-

Ranked 2nd

• Niner Noise – Peter Panancy: “Had it not been for the No. 1 team in our NFL power rankings, the Minnesota Vikings would have reached the Super Bowl a season ago.” Previous rank: 2nd

Ranked 3rd

• Business Insider – Scott Davis and Tyler Lauletta: “After years of speculation as Kirk Cousins threw up ridiculous numbers to no avail with the Washington Redskins, football fans will finally have the chance to see how he looks when the games have stakes.” Previous rank: -n/a-

Ranked 4th

• USA Today – Nate Davis: “Don’t be surprised if Dalvin Cook‘s return actually has more profound effect on 11th-ranked offense than Kirk Cousins’ arrival.” Previous rank: 4th

Ranked 5th

• NFL.com – Elliot Harrison: “The Vikings are staying put from their ranking after the draft.” Previous rank: – no change- 

Ranked 7th

• NJ.com – Matt Lombardo: “How much of a difference will a healthy Dalvin Cook make, and will Kirk Cousins really be an upgrade at quarterback? Those two questions likely will determine the fate of the Vikings’ season.”  Previous rank: -n/a-

Seriously, this is one of the most interesting groupings of rankings ever. Looking at 6 sites, each one has the Vikings among the top 7 teams in the NFL, but each one also has Minnesota in a spot unique to the others.

It’s understandable to see the Minnesota Vikings ranked under certain teams in the league: the Eagles are the returning champions, the Patriots rule the AFC, the Rams brought in a ton of talent, and the Saints pushed the Vikings to the limit in the playoffs.

While it would be great to have the team in the number one spot, the more realistic spot is likely 4th or 5th, under the teams above and possibly even the Jacksonville Jaguars. Then again, being the underdogs is usually better than being the favorites anyway.

Where do you think the Minnesota Vikings deserve to be ranked as the team works through training camp and approaches their first preseason game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!