5 Minnesota Vikings who belong on Santa’s naughty list

Dakota Dozier – LG

Dru Samia got a lot of the flak for his poor play early in the season. While seeing him miss blocks, accumulate penalties, and get pushed around was tough to watch, it also masked the issues that Dakota Dozier was having.

When Ezra Cleveland took over the right guard spot, his play was a little better, and then the negative focus was put on the left side where it belonged with Dozier.

This guy has been a major problem in the last handful of games for the Vikings. He doesn’t seem to know his assignments as he is often seen looking into the backfield and watching his quarterback get hit.

Sometimes Dozier even pretends he is a defensive lineman and rushes his own quarterback. In Week 14 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he even took Kirk Cousins down to the ground in one of the oddest plays of Minnesota’s season.

No matter how bad Dozier has been, the Vikings continue to roll him out there week after week. This isn’t his fault, but one would think he’d get better with the additional reps, tape study, and experience gained.

One thing that has been made clear this season though is that Dozier is not a starting-caliber NFL guard and he should be given a backup role next season for whatever team he’s playing for.