5 Vikings players who have been pleasant surprises

(Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images) Za'Darius Smith
(Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images) Za'Darius Smith
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Minnesota Vikings
(Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) Ryan Wright

Ryan Wright, punter

The Minnesota Vikings made the bold decision not to bring back punter Jordan Berry after a solid year as a punter and holder to bring in Ryan Wright instead. So far, this seems like the right decision

Wright has averaged 45 yards per punt this season with a long punt of 73 yards. His punts are rarely returned for significant yardage, Opponents have only gained 53 yards on 10 punt return tries.

OF course, Wright will need to be consistent in order to keep his position through multiple seasons. He has shorted a couple of punts so far this year, giving the opposition a shorter field than expected.

Since Minnesota’s offense goes through stretches where they struggle to pick up first downs, odds are that Wright will get plenty more opportunities to show off his booming leg on a regular basis.

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