The Minnesota Vikings finished the year off playing the worst they’ve played all year, with depth issues and a clear lack of talent throughout the roster. Although they were decimated with injuries, it highlighted what is needed from coaching and what’s needed in the offseason.
With no starting-level quarterback under contract next year, what General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah does at that position will define the Minnesota Vikings for the next decade. That makes this the most important offseason for the Minnesota Vikings in years, probably decades.
Options at Quarterback
If you take what Head Coach Kevin O’Connell has said literally in press conferences throughout the year, then you’d think there’s a 100% chance he stays in Minnesota at least through the 2024 season. There’s much more to consider, although it’s a major positive to give a head coach his preferred option at quarterback (something Vikings fans know too well about during the Zimmer/Spielman era)
If both sides can’t come to an agreement, which is a very possible outcome, then there’s always the draft. With the 11th pick, odds are guys like Michael Penix jr, Bo Nix and J.J. McCarthy will be on the board. If they would rather give up a lot of assets and take one of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Jayden Daniels, they’ll need someone from the top three to trade back with them. There’s also a scenario where both Cousins are re-signed and a quarterback is drafted early by Minnesota.
Whichever way they decide to go at quarterback, there’s no excuse for the signal caller to not be able to succeed. Having a very good offensive line, an elite tight end, and arguably the best-receiving duo in the league should be a formula for success in 2024.
Defensive Line
If the starting quarterback didn’t have so many questions, everyone would be panic about the state of the defensive line. If I were Adofo-Mensah, the absolute first thing I’d do this offseason is to re-sign Danielle Hunter. Hunter was on a below-average defensive line and still put up career numbers. Without him, this is probably the worst defensive line in the league.
After signing Hunter, the Vikings need another interior pass rusher or edge rusher. Nobody else could get pressure at a rate close to Hunter besides Marcus Davenport, who only played in a couple of games this year due to an ankle injury. There are good rotational pieces like Pat Jones, D.J. Wonnum, and Khyris Tonga, but those guys aren’t starters. If there isn’t real capital put into the defensive line, they’ll be a liability the entire season.
If I were coaching the defensive line, Danielle Hunter and Harrison Phillips would be the only two players I’d be comfortable starting. That’s not good. The Vikings need more beef.
Running Back
The Vikings put the least amount of cap space into the running back position out of the entire NFL and boy did it seem like it. Alexander Mattison didn’t score a rushing touchdown all year long, and backup Ty Chandler, who overtook the starting position after an ankle injury to Mattison late in the year, showed tons of flashes, but not enough to cement him as the 2024 week one starter.
Chandler was a complete liability in pass protection. He was very productive in the snaps he got running and catching the ball, but the Vikings are in clear need of a third-down back. Whether that’s through the draft or free agency, it’s a major need.
Cam Akers also played pretty well until the season-ending injury, but relying on him to be a serious contributor after coming off of an injury like a torn Achilles, especially as a running back, wouldn’t be very smart, although I’d love to see him back again next year.
Cornerback
Other than Byron Murphy, the Vikings don’t have another starting cornerback on the roster. Mekhi Blackmon showed tons of upside when he played but having him as the number two cornerback would still be a little scary. If the Vikings want to be a serious team, they need another corner.
Akayleb Evans got benched in multiple games to end the year, and by week 18 practice squad elevations were playing in huge moments. This defense needs a starting-caliber corner and some quality backups. Although Murphy and Blackmon are really solid and Evans is at worst a backup, cornerback is the weakest position on the entire roster. They need one more starter and a couple of backups to just get to average.
Main Photo: [Lon Horwedel] – USA Today Sports
