Which teams should the Minnesota Vikings emulate if they retool?
By Luke Parrish
Los Angeles Chargers
Fresh off a win over the Chargers, the Vikings should leave Los Angeles with a plan to follow the Chargers’ path. Los Angeles shifted from one quarterback to the next in the most impressive way possible, going from Philip Rivers to Justin Herbert.
Landing a top-tier quarterback prospect is not necessarily all that realistic, especially this offseason, but the Vikings are in a position to make a similar move. If they want to move on from Kirk Cousins and go after a quarterback this offseason, they will have the pieces around him to make life easier as a rookie.
The Vikings and Chargers are already pretty similar in terms of roster construction. Both teams struggled for years with finding success along the offensive line but two rookie left tackles are turning that around. Rashawn Slater and Christian Darrisaw both look like studs on the blindside.
Both teams also have a pair of very good wide receivers that can make things easier for the quarterback. Justin Herbert walked into a building with Keanan Allen and Mike Williams and has had immediate success. Minnesota offers Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen but also sweeten the pot with Dalvin Cook and potential Irv Smith Jr.
Los Angeles has some key pieces defensively that would also be on par with what the Vikings should build around. With an elite edge rusher in Joey Bosa and a superstar playmaker in Derwin James, the Chargers are scary on defense. Kenneth Murray is another fun player in the middle of the defense.
The Vikings have similar guys in Danielle Hunter, Harrison Smith, and Eric Kendricks but injuries and age make this a bit more complicated for the future. Getting younger on defense should be the goal of the 2022 NFL Draft.