The Minnesota Vikings surprised many fans and experts last season by winning 14 games and reaching the playoffs during a year they were considered to be rebuilding with Sam Darnold as their starting quarterback.
Head coach Kevin O'Connell won Coach of the Year for his ability to lead and motivate the squad. And now the Vikings are preparing to go to battle again in 2025 after an active free agency period that saw them add talent in multiple spots.
There are still questions surrounding Minnesota. It is unknown if J.J. McCarthy will be a solid starting quarterback in the NFL. The cornerback room looks vastly different from last season. And there is no way to know if the new additions will fit with the returning players.
The rankings disrespect the Minnesota Vikings
The Athletic recently published an article ranking the rosters of all 32 NFL teams by assigning value to each player's ability to impact a game. The place where the Minnesota Vikings ended up seems totally disrespectful.
Minnesota lands at No. 13 on the list despite having an extremely strong pass rush and the best wide receiver in the league. They are behind teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers, who missed the playoffs last season.
The reasoning for the Vikings being so low is interesting.
"The Vikings have one of the best rosters in football … outside of the quarterback position."The Athletic
While it still isn't known how McCarthy will perform with Minnesota in 2025, the team still has an explosive offense and an aggressive defense with Brian Flores getting the most out of his edge rushers and other defenders.
"They rank inside the top 10 at every offensive position except interior offensive line, which is now average after they added guard Will Fries and center Ryan Kelly in free agency."The Athletic
The offensive line was a major point of focus this offseason. Tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill are great bookends and replacing Dalton Risner and Garrett Bradbury with Will Fries and Ryan Kelly should be an upgrade that helps the rushing and passing attack.
"On defense, they’re not quite as good, but they still rank above average up front and inside the top five at cornerback. Their linebacker and safety groups could use upgrades, too"The Athletic
Minnesota's edge rushers were excellent last season and their new cornerbacks show a lot of potential. The upgrades to the defensive line should help a returning interior linebacker group to be more effective in 2025.
Putting the Minnesota Vikings near the middle of the pack when it comes to roster talent is a bit insulting. Compared to other rosters, the purple and gold don't have many holes that should keep them from being closer to the top 25 percent of the league. Hopefully this will be fuel for a team that should be competitive in 2025.