The biggest need for the Minnesota Vikings is at quarterback, but there are several other areas the team needs to shore up in 2024.
When it comes to the Minnesota Vikings offseason, there is no bigger question than quarterback.
With Kirk Cousins a pending free agent, there are no guarantees as to who will be the Vikings’ signal-caller in 2024, but it’s not the only question that Minnesota general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah needs to answer this offseason.
The 2023 Vikings were a flawed team and one that only went 4-4 with Cousins at quarterback. When Cousins went down with a torn Achilles last October, many pointed to the quarterback play as a reason they missed the playoffs, but several other factors need to be addressed this offseason.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the Vikings’ biggest weaknesses outside of quarterback and list some solutions that could make Minnesota a much better team in 2024.
Vikings Need No. 1
Edge Rusher
Brian Flores did his best to turn the Vikings defense from bad to serviceable in 2023, but he’ll need to figure out the edge rusher position if he wants his group to continue to succeed.
The Vikings came into the year with Danielle Hunter and Marcus Davenport on the edge, but an ankle limited Davenport to just four games on a one-year, $13 million deal.
Hunter thrived under Flores with a career-high 16.5 sacks, but he is also a pending free agent this year, potentially leaving a big hole on the edge.
Common sense says that the Vikings could re-sign Hunter, but it comes with a few factors. Although two major injuries in the 2020 and 2021 seasons are behind him, they still complicate his long-term viability entering his age 30 season.
Over The Cap also places Hunter’s value at $24.8 million per season, which could place him outside of the Vikings’ price range with Cousins, Justin Jefferson, and possibly Christian Darrisaw also looking for new contracts this year.
Even if Hunter returns, the Vikings will still need to add depth at the position. 2023 undrafted rookie Andre Carter II remains a long-term project, and D.J. Wonnum is coming off a torn quadriceps suffered last December.
The Vikings could look to fill the reserve roles in free agency, but they could also look toward the NFL Draft where Alabama’s Dallas Turner and Florida State’s Jared Verse could be on the board when Minnesota is on the clock with the 11th overall pick.