2018 Season Preview: Is the Vikings’ defense even better?

The Minnesota Vikings had arguably the NFL’s best defense in 2017 and the team added even more weapons to the unit this year.

When the Minnesota Vikings hired Mike Zimmer four years ago, the hope was that he would be able to at least fix a defense that was at the bottom of the NFL in 2013. In four seasons with the Vikings, Zimmer has done a little more than just improve the play of the team’s defensive unit.

After seeing gradual improvements in the defense during Zimmer’s first few years in Minnesota, the team finished last season as the NFL’s best in total defense and points allowed. The Vikings also had the league’s second-best pass defense in 2017.

Oddly enough, last year was actually the first time in Zimmer’s career as a defensive coordinator or a head coach that his team’s defense finished first in the NFL in points allowed.

With the 2018 regular season now just days away, the Vikings’ defenders are hoping to follow up last year with an even better performance this season. They certainly have the pieces to do so in 2018.

For this season, 10 of the 11 starters from Minnesota’s 2017 defense are returning. The one change in the Vikings’ starting lineup this year is that they have replaced Tom Johnson at defensive tackle with Sheldon Richardson.

Minnesota also used their first-round pick in last April’s draft on a very talented cornerback from UCF by the name of Mike Hughes. Despite having one of the league’s top pass defenses in 2017, Zimmer is never going to shy away from adding another skilled corner to his arsenal.

So with the additions of Richardson and Hughes combined with the tremendous amount of experience the Vikings have returning, does this season’s defense have the chance to be one of the NFL’s greatest of all-time?