Minnesota Vikings' Superlatives Survey

I found the following survey bouncing around the internet. I decided to take a Minnesota Vikings swing at it here.

Most Overrated: Ben Gedeon

Most Underrated: Anthony Barr

Best Player: Danielle Hunter

Key New Edition: Jeff Gladney

Could Surprise: Troy Dye

Takes a Leap: Garrett Bradbury

Prove It Year: Mike Hughes

Survey thoughts:

Most Overrated: This is a tough one. If Xavier Rhodes was still on the team, he'd be the pick due to his declining play the last two seasons. He's in Indianapolis now and as a result outside the reach of this survey. Pat Elflein is the other starter of the last couple seasons that hasn't played to the level expected of a starter. But I don't think that anyone rates him highly enough that he can be considered overrated by others. I'm reluctantly going with Ben Gedeon. He's started in the team's base defense since his 2017 rookie season. He's solidly done what's expected of him. Playing the run. Despite being a starter in the team's defense, he only plays about a third of the defensive snaps. Concussion concerns took him off the field after eight games last season. Eric Wilson played well in his place with more versatility. Right now, I'd pencil Wilson into the lineup over Gedeon. And my "Could Surprise" pick Troy Dye might leap over both.

Most Underrated: Anthony Harris was my initial thought. Thanks to PFF and some pre-free agency attention, I no longer think that he's underrated by the masses. The funny thing about Harris is that I think even Vikings fans forget that he's been a starting safety for only a single season. Injuries to Andrew Sendejo gave him a starting opportunity at the end of the 2018 season. That opportunity was all that Harris needed to make the job his. Anthony Barr was a top 10 draft pick. He's been to four Pro Bowls. He has a big contract. None of those things shout underrated. I picked Barr for most underrated simply because I believe that some Vikings fans will pick him for most overrated. Mike Zimmer's defense is dependent on each player playing with proper technique and playing a particular role. All 11 players have a role. I believe that it all runs through Barr. He might be asked to do more things for his team than any stack linebacker in the league. He doesn't have the sack totals that fans like. He doesn't have the turnover numbers that fans like. But he does everything and he does it really well.

Best Player: This is a toss-up for me between Dalvin Cook and Danielle Hunter. I went with Hunter because I don't think that we've even come close to seeing the best that he can be. He's accomplished so much in a short time and at such a young age. Yet, I believe that he's only scratching the surface of his talent.

Key New Edition: I thought about free agent defensive tackle Michael Pierce. I considered second round offensive tackle Ezra Cleveland but I wasn't sure that his impact would be felt immediately. Jeff Gladney really felt like my only choice. I think so highly of his cornerback talent that I believe that he'd be a starter if the Vikings had to play a game right now. Without having taken in a single on-field practice with the team. The Vikings lost their top three corners in free agency. I feel better about the Vikings' young position group than a group that included one or more of the departed veterans. It's mostly because of Gladney.

Could Surprise: I watched Troy Dye play for four years at Oregon. There's something about his versatility and instincts. He isn't the physical beast/freak that Isaiah Simmons is but he can do a lot of the same things on the football field. Maybe Dye is nothing more than a very good special teams player. Based on what I saw him do for four years at Oregon there's a good chance that he could surprise.

Takes a Leap: This is toss-up for me between Garrett Bradbury and Irv Smith Jr., the team's top two draft picks of a year ago. I think that just about everybody believes that Smith is on track to becoming a star. Due to a perceived up and down rookie season, I think that some question the potential of Bradbury. I'm not one of them. He did some special things as a rookie. He showed the athleticism that few NFL centers have. He probably needs to get stronger but he has so many intangibles that can't be taught or found in a weight room. Smarts, awareness, instincts, athleticism. I think that Bradbury's NFL future is very bright and we start seeing it this year.

Prove It Year. On paper, Mike Hughes was taken apart by Amari Cooper in last season's SNF game against the Dallas Cowboys. It took game-long, never-seen-before accuracy from Dak Prescott. Hughes was on Cooper's hip routinely. Prescott kept putting the ball on Cooper's hands while his toes tapped the sidelines. Prescott's sideline passing that night was ridiculous, just outside Hughes' reach, on Cooper's hands, several feet beyond the field of play. The numbers don't show it but Hughes' coverage was great. I saw more good than bad and a talent that can get better. Much better. Maybe it's silly to view a perceived poor game as a positive. That night, I saw Hughes have terrific coverage on one of the most difficult to cover receivers in the game. Prescott and Cooper had a connection that I've never before or since seen them have. It was actually bizarre that Prescott had that connection only with Cooper that night. He was his usual somewhat inconsistent self with his other receivers. Anyway, Hughes never backed down. The biggest problem for Hughes has been availability. Just when it looks like he's starting to find his NFL footing, injuries have taken him off the field. He's now nearly 20 months removed from the knee injury that took away most of his rookie season. He's reportedly 100% recovered from the neck injury that kept him out of the playoffs last year. He's slated to be the team's top corner this year. He just has to stay on the field. With the addition of a bunch of young corners this is a "prove it year" for Hughes. Staying on the field would be a great start to proving that he can be the Vikings' top cornerback.