4 Vikings players who need to realize their potential in 2021

(Photo by Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports) Irv Smith Jr.
(Photo by Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports) Irv Smith Jr.
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Minnesota Vikings
(Photo by Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports) Xavier Woods

Which Minnesota Vikings players need to start realizing their potential in 2021?

The stakes are high for the Minnesota Vikings in 2021. They are coming off a campaign where Mike Zimmer’s men were unable to recover from a dismal start en route to missing the postseason and the organization has left no stone unturned when it has come to improving their roster this year.

On the face of things, the Vikings have worked miracles in terms of recruitment with the financial resources available. Their salary-cap predicament didn’t look the best prior to free agency, but those in power made some sacrifices, and the team picked up some potential bargains that have the roster looking a lot more promising right now than when the 2020 campaign ended.

Having a good roster on paper is all well and good. But it will count for nothing if Minnesota gets off to the same poor start in 2021 that cost them in a big way last time out.

Zimmer knows what’s on the line when competitive action gets underway. He still commands the complete respect of the locker room, but the head coach isn’t getting any younger, and if the Vikings flatter to deceive once again, there will be some obvious calls for a fresh set of ideas next year.

He will not only be counting on his new players to hit the ground running, but those that were already on the roster also need to raise their respective games considerably with a potential opening in the NFC North due to the current saga between Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.

With this in mind, who are four Vikings players that need to start realizing their potential in 2021?

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