Minnesota Vikings: Projected starters for the 2020 NFL season

Wide Receivers

• Adam Thielen
• Justin Jefferson

The exit of Stefon Digs in a trade to the Buffalo Bills opened up a starting spot among the Vikings pass-catchers. Since Olabisi Johnson and Chad Beebe were on the depth chart behind Theilen, there was some desperate need for competition and talent in the unit.

The Minnesota Vikings didn’t wait long during the 2020 NFL Draft to get the player who should fill Diggs’ shoes. Justin Jefferson may be a rookie, but he seems to have all the talent needed to be a major contributor this season.

Tight End

• Kyle Rudolph

Irv Smith Jr. had a solid rookie campaign last year but the starting job still belongs to Rudolph. The team signed him to a four-year deal worth $36 million, according to Spotrac.

However, he won’t be shouldering the position alone.

There will be plenty of opportunities for both Smith and Rudolph to be on the field together, but Rudolph will likely be the one who gets the most attention in the red zone and short-yardage situations due to his size and catch radius.