10 bold Minnesota Vikings predictions for the 2024 NFL season

After an offseason of uncertainty, the Minnesota Vikings could be entering one of their most unpredictable seasons in 2024.

Kirk Cousins is gone, and Sam Darnold isn’t the only new face wearing purple. While Justin Jefferson, Harrison Smith, and Christian Darrisaw are back, the Vikings have exciting new additions, such as Aaron Jones, Dallas Turner, and Stephon Gilmore, who could make an impact.

Mix in an unpredictable division race, and this season could be the craziest since Kevin O’Connell arrived in 2022. But the madness is the beauty of the NFL and it creates some bold predictions that the Vikings hope come true this season.

10 bold Minnesota Vikings predictions for the 2024 season

1. The Vikings will start the season 4-0

A lot of Vikings fans groaned when they saw the schedule last May, as it appears the NFL did Minnesota no favors in their first four games. A trip to MetLife Stadium followed by three straight games against playoff teams isn’t a great thing for a team with plenty of new faces, but it could also create an opportunity for the Vikings to get off to a great start.

Daniel Jones’s preseason performance makes the New York Giants' favorite status in Week 1 confusing, and the Vikings are facing a San Francisco 49ers team that went 6-10 the last time they made the Super Bowl in their home opener.

The Houston Texans have to come to U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 3, and Jordan Love’s second-half performance from 2023 could be an anomaly by the time the Vikings go to Lambeau Field in 2024.

This would put the Vikings in a great spot heading to a toss-up game against the New York Jets in London in Week 5, and there’s enough of a path to make a hot start a reality.

2. Justin Jefferson will get 2,000 receiving yards

After posting the most receiving yards by a player in the first three seasons of his career and flirting with the 2,000-yard mark in 2022, it seemed like a formality that Jefferson would reach the milestone in 2023. But a hamstring injury and a revolving door at quarterback tanked that idea, and it may not seem possible with Darnold replacing Cousins this year.

However, Jefferson has several things going for him in 2024. He comes into this season healthy, and the contract dispute that hovered over last season went away with a four-year, $140 million deal back in June. He’s also the centerpiece of O’Connell’s offense and has a quarterback who is willing to throw him the ball even if it’s not the most logical decision.

With T.J. Hockenson also out for the first month of the season, Jefferson could have an even bigger chunk of production, which could lead him to a career year in 2024.

3. Christian Darrisaw will be an All-Pro

The Vikings have questions along the offensive line, but one of their biggest answers is the play of Darrisaw. A first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Darrisaw has quickly become one of the league’s best offensive tackles and was rewarded with a four-year, $104 million contract extension during training camp.

The next step for Darrisaw is to become elite. He allowed career-highs in pressures (31) and sacks last season, and Darnold’s tendency to hold onto the ball could be an issue.

But Darrisaw has improved enough to be able to handle opponents’ top pass rushers and could benefit if Blake Brandel settles in at left guard.

A few things need to go his way but Darrisaw could be an elite offensive tackle by the end of the season.

4. Dallas Turner will set the Vikings’ rookie record for sacks

Many Vikings fans were disappointed when J.J. McCarthy was lost for the season with a torn meniscus, but they can get their first-round hype fix from Dallas Turner in 2024.

The Vikings' decision to trade up for Turner in April’s draft was controversial from a cost standpoint but could pay off early. Turner’s versatility is a big reason why the Vikings were impressed with the Alabama product and could make him a better fit in Brian Flores’s scheme than Danielle Hunter was one year ago.

With that in mind, Keith Millard’s franchise rookie record for sacks (11.0 in 1985) could be within reach, and an outside push to match Hunter’s 16.5 sacks in 2023 isn’t out of the question.

5. Josh Metellus will lead the Vikings in tackles

At this time last year, no one was sure what an expanded role for Josh Metellus would look like, but he responded by finishing second on the team with 116 total tackles.

Entering this season, it feels like Metellus has room for more. Although he’s listed as a safety on the roster, Flores has moved him to nickel corner and even edge rusher during training camp, and his jack-of-all-trades mindset could put him in position to make plenty of plays.

With the outside chance that he plays more in the box this season, Metellus could have an even bigger role and wind up with the most tackles on the Vikings in 2024.

6. The Vikings will make at least one trade at the deadline

Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah hasn’t been afraid of making a trade, and it could continue when Minnesota approaches the trade deadline this season.

Adofo-Mensah has been active at the deadline in each of the past two seasons, acquiring Hockenson in 2022 and Josh Dobbs last season. But he’s also kept an eye on the future, trading Ezra Cleveland to the Jacksonville Jaguars at last year’s trade deadline.

The latter scenario seems more possible, considering the Vikings have three picks in next year’s draft – a first-rounder and two fifth-round picks. Although Minnesota is likely to earn a third-round compensatory pick after losing Cousins in free agency, they’ll still need more capital, which could lead to a deal in November.

7. Will Reichard will make the Pro Bowl

Vikings fans will roll their eyes at the thought of a kicker making the Pro Bowl, but Reichard has done everything right in the lead-up to the season.

Reichard consistently made big kicks throughout the offseason and made 7-of-8 field goals and all eight extra points during the preseason. While none of the kicks counted, it’s a contrast from the last kicking experiment when Mike Zimmer went for two points after Daniel Carlson missed a kick in 2018.

Carlson lasted two games before being cut by the Vikings, but even if Reichard has a tough debut, O’Connell seems to be more forgiving – especially with a 23-year-old kicker. After Jason Myers made the Pro Bowl last year, Reichard seems to have the leg to make the jump this year and perhaps answer one of the Vikings’ biggest curses.

8. Nick Mullens will make at least one start this season

We haven’t mentioned Darnold too much in this article, but one thing we may be able to count on is his durability.

Darnold has been a bust so far in his career for his on-field play but he’s also spent a significant time off of it due to foot and shoulder injuries and even mononucleosis.

With the Vikings’ interior offensive line having major questions, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Darnold limp off the field and see Mullens take the field with a “Shoot to Thrill” mentality this season.

9. The Vikings will make the playoffs

The goal for the Vikings every year is to win a championship, but with several questions, it may not be possible in 2024. That being said, the Vikings do have a solid chance at a playoff spot if things go their way.

We already discussed that Love and the Packers may not be what they were in the second half of last season, and the Chicago Bears might still be one year away from being a serious contender. Although the Detroit Lions are the favorites, they didn’t do much to address their defensive struggles, and the rest of the conference could open the door to earn a wild-card berth.

10. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell will be extended next offseason

If the Vikings can make the playoffs, it should mean good things for the current regime. Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell have meticulously built a foundation, and with a long-term plan in place, it could convince the Wilfs they have the right people in charge – even if they don’t make the playoffs.

This could lead to an extension for Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell and good things when McCarthy fully takes over at quarterback in 2025.

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