Which Minnesota Vikings players stand to benefit most from the team’s major coaching changes in 2022?
It’s been an offseason of monumental changes across the Minnesota Vikings. After another season without playoff football in 2021, ownership opted to start afresh by firing Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman, replacing the long-serving duo with two progressive thinkers that could provide a significant spark if everything goes according to plan.
Kevin O’Connell was appointed head coach after playing a leading role in the Los Angeles Rams clinching the Super Bowl. He is a respected young coach with a tremendous amount going for him and the early signs are extremely positive based on comments about the shift in approach during OTAs and mandatory minicamp.
There is also a lot to like about the way new general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has gone about his business this spring. Aside from a couple of strange draft trades with NFC North rivals, the Vikings can feel confident they got the right man into the organization to form the necessary building blocks for a successful future.
With this in mind, here are five Vikings players who stand to benefit most from the team’s offseason changes in 2022.
Player No. 1
Jaylen Twyman – DT
After a luckless rookie campaign that ended before it began, Jaylen Twyman’s road to redemption begins this summer in training camp.
The former sixth-round selection was shot four times last July causing him to miss the entire campaign. Minnesota has not given up on the defensive lineman just yet and providing there are no further complications, there could be a role to play.
The Vikings are implementing a 3-4 base defense next season. With Twyman’s experience as a defensive end or on the interior, a starting opportunity is not completely out of the question if the Pittsburgh product shows enough in camp.