4 Vikings who are locks to make the Pro Bowl in 2023 and 4 who aren’t
By Randy Smith
Close Call: Ryan Wright – P
Punters are people too, even in the Pro Bowl. Unfortunately for Ryan Wright, his name may not make it to the polls in a surplus of numbers due to him being a rookie and veteran punter Johnny Hekker currently leading in the NFC votes at the punter position.
But this isn’t to say Wright doesn’t deserve it as much, if not more, than Hekker. It just comes down to a name that fans, players, and alike who have known Hekker for much more than Wright. Regardless if Wright misses the Pro Bowl, his rookie season shouldn’t be uncounted for.
According to PFF, Wright’s 27 punts pinned inside the 20 ranks 3rd among punters, and his long punt of 73 yards is the seventh best in the league right now.
The 22-year-old has become an extra layer of defense for the Vikings, for if they go three and out, they can rely on the leg of Wright to pin the defense back into a less-than-favorable starting spot.
Wright deserves to be in the Pro Bowl, but he will most likely get passed up for a more memorable and remarkable name. But between Kris Boyd and another Viking, the team will have more than enough representation on special teams.