Who were the most disappointing Minnesota Vikings rookies from the 2020 class?
The Minnesota Vikings nailed their 2020 NFL Draft class. They found a superstar wide receiver in Justin Jefferson. He set franchise and league records at the receiving position and he will be the team’s No. 1 option in the passing game for many years to come.
The Vikings also landed their starting cornerback duo for the future in Jeff Gladney and Cameron Dantzler. They both had up and down seasons, but the experience they gained will be huge for them in 2021 and beyond.
Minnesota also added a starter to their offensive line with second-round pick Ezra Cleveland. However, where he ultimately ends up at this point is up in the air.
D.J. Wonnum showed plenty of potential on the defensive side of the ball, as did Harrison Hand. The Vikings got a lot of run out of a number of their 2020 draft picks and this was a rare class that paid off in the first season.
While Minnesota hit on most of their choices, a few players didn’t live up to their draft billing.
Troy Dye – LB
The Vikings took linebacker Troy Dye in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft and many figured this pick to be a steal. Some viewed Dye as a potential third-round choice since he is a highly athletic linebacker who can cover a ton of ground and be an asset in pass coverage.
The expectations were low with Dye in year one with Minnesota. He was expected to be seen mostly on special teams as a rookie before competing to take over Eric Wilson or Anthony Barr’s job in 2021, depending on which player the Vikings decided to keep.
But injuries forced Dye on the field earlier than expected and he wasn’t able to do a whole heck of a lot with the opportunity he was given.
Dye finished the 2020 season with just 28 tackles and two pass breakups and he did this in 11 games, with five of them including him in the starting lineup.
Dye wasn’t horrible, he just didn’t make any splashy plays. He didn’t have a sack, interception, a forced fumble, or even a tackle for a loss. It was a lot like having Ben Gedeon back in the lineup.
Dye needs to add some weight to his frame and become much more physical in his second season with Minnesota. The guy is athletically gifted and if he can become a more intimidating presence on the field, perhaps the production will follow.
James Lynch – DT
James Lynch was another fourth-round choice of the Vikings in 200 who just didn’t show up much in his rookie campaign.
Lynch was coming off a 2019 season at Baylor where he had 13.5 sacks and he was viewed as a guy who could potentially be a three-technique penetrator for Minnesota’s defensive line. Despite not having much ahead of him on the depth chart, Lynch couldn’t get much of a sniff as a rookie.
Lynch struggled to be active on game day and he appeared in just nine games for the Vikings in 2020. In one contest, he flashed with a beautiful bull rush against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 5 that netted him a sack on Russell Wilson. Lynch couldn’t build off that one shining moment and he only saw a handful of snaps after that.
While it isn’t uncommon for a fourth-round rookie to struggle early in his career, what made Lynch’s situation worse was the lack of talent ahead of him.
Jaleel Johnson was the incumbent three-technique for Minnesota and he wasn’t very good during the majority of the season. Lynch, despite showing elite pass-rush ability in college, couldn’t translate that to the NFL level in his first year.
The good news is that Lynch should be in the mix to compete for a starting job next season and he should be much better prepared with a full offseason and preseason under his belt.
K.J. Osborn – KR/PR
K.J. Osborn was easily the Vikings‘ worst and most disappointing draft choice from the 2020 class. Rick Spielman and the scouting department targeted this guy to fill a major hole and become Minnesota’s primary return man.
The Vikings took him in the fifth round despite many respected draft analysts not even thinking he would get drafted at all. There was some hope Minnesota knew what they were doing, but Osborn failed miserably in his role in 2020.
Osborn had just 27 punt return yards on the season. He didn’t show any knack for the role as he lacked the required burst, wiggle, and vision to succeed.
Osborn didn’t fare much better as a kick returner as he only had 303 return yards on 14 attempts. He was in and out of the lineup throughout the season, getting supplanted by the exact players he was supposed to replace.
Osborn also didn’t get a sniff on the field as a wide receiver. When Adam Thielen was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list and he had to miss a game, it was Tajae Sharpe and not Osborn who was called up to active duty for the Vikings.
5 most disappointing Vikings players of the 2020 season
Now that the 2020 season has concluded for the Minnesota Vikings, which members of their roster were the most disappointing during the campaign?
Osborn was extremely disappointing and of all the rookies drafted in the fifth round or higher by the Vikings, his return to the lineup in 2020 seems to be the most unlikely to happen.