Last week, a set of post-2026 NFL Draft power rankings were released that weren't too kind to the Minnesota Vikings. Now, in some more recent post-draft power rankings shared by Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr, the Vikings are not only in a more believable spot, but the ranking is sweetened by the fact that it's higher than the Green Bay Packers.
Orr has Minnesota as the No. 19 team in the league after this year's NFL Draft, and he explained his decision by reminding readers how the Vikings managed to still finish with a winning record last season, despite having to deal with uncertainty in the quarterback room every week.
"I think we forget that the Vikings won nine games last season with a ridiculous carousel of quarterbacks, including a version of Carson Wentz so injured that a police report should have been filed.
While we can all pile on the Caleb Banks pick, this was a draft of wild swings. Banks may be a team’s only crack at a defensive tackle that can wreck games. And without a GM at the wheel, why not let DC Brian Flores have a voice?"
Minnesota Vikings slotted higher than Green Bay Packers in recent post-NFL Draft power rankings
While Orr's explanation for ranking Minnesota 19th was more about reminding readers that there's a solid team in the Twin Cities, sharing why he gave the Packers the No. 20 spot was certainly filled with more uncertainty.
"The Packers checked boxes in the draft, after desperately needing to come out of the second and third rounds with a cornerback and defensive tackle.
The question, of course, is how quickly new DC Jonathan Gannon can integrate both into his scheme and whether there’s enough progression to get this defense near its Jeff Hafley–led peak before the Micah Parsons injury."
It's definitely fair to question how long it will take for Green Bay's defense to perform at the level that former defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley guided them to during the last two seasons, especially since the guy replacing him, Jonathan Gannon, has generated more memes than top defenses in the last few years.
Coincidentally, the biggest question marks for the Vikings and Packers are on opposite sides of the football.
Minnesota is hoping the addition of Kyler Murray can transform its offense into one of the best in the NFL, while Green Bay's defense in the post-Hafley era will likely have to begin its journey without All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons for the first few weeks of the upcoming season as he works his way back from a torn ACL.
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