Which teams should the Minnesota Vikings emulate if they retool?
By Luke Parrish
New York Jets
This may be a bit more of a stretch, especially since the Jets are one of the worst teams in the NFL right now. New York has not been successful for a number of years but that does not mean they have not finally started doing things right. In 2021, the Jets selected a potential franchise quarterback and used the rest of the picks to help him out.
They selected Alijah Vera-Tucker to anchor down the left guard spot for the foreseeable future while also adding Elijah Moore and Michael Carter to the offense. Those three guys will be huge for Zach Wilson’s development. In 2020, the Jets used their first-round pick on another potential star when they selected left tackle Mekhi Becton.
With Becton and Vera-Tucker holding down the left side of the offensive line, the Jets are building around Zach Wilson much more than they ever did Sam Darnold. The Vikings have already begun that process on their own and would be smart to continue.
New York typically spends big money in free agency to bring in veterans to fill out the roster, which does not hold true for the Vikings. That’s is really where these two sides differ. Minnesota needs to shed some current salaries before they can make some of the signings that the Jets have done lately.
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Still, the Vikings are not set for a full rebuild any time soon. They are far too talented and young to tear things apart completely but they can do a better job of setting up for the future. The Jets may have the right foundation for a team like the Vikings.