The media’s offseason take of the 2022 Minnesota Vikings was that the team was “running it back.” I’ve always found that an annoying term. In this case, I found it an overly simple, lazy take. The Vikings completely overhauled the leadership structure of the team. Nothing’s the same in Minnesota. I guess that a team is “running it back” if the player under center is the same from one year to the next.” Anyway, with one game of the 2022 season in the books, we can now compare the starting lineups of last season’s Vikings team to this season’s Vikings team.
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2021
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2022
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Offense
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QB
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Kirk Cousins
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QB
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Kirk Cousins
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RB
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Dalvin Cook
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RB
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Dalvin Cook
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FB
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C.J. Ham
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FB
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C.J. Ham
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WR
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Justin Jefferson
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WR
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Justin Jefferson
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WR
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Adam Thielen
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WR
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Adams Thielen
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WR
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K.J. Osborn
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TE
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Johnny Mundt
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LT
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Rashod Hill
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LT
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Christian Darrisaw
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LG
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Ezra Cleveland
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LG
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Ezra Cleveland
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C
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Garrett Bradbury
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C
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Garrett Bradbury
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RG
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Oli Udoh
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RG
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Ed Ingram
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RT
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Brian O’Neill
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RT
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Brian O’Neill
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Tight end Irv Smith Jr. is coming off a knee injury that cost him last season and a thumb injury that cost him most of this season’s training camp. He’s healthy but the Vikings are clearly easing him into the action. Johnny Mundt started in his place. The main on-field offensive change from last season is left tackle Christian Darrisaw being healthy and rookie Ed Ingram starting at right guard. Darrisaw looks like a franchise cornerstone player. Ingram should get better with each week of experience. If Garrett Bradbury can hold up, get stronger, and get better the Vikings offensive line should be much improved. The offensive line might even be good. Imagine that.
In terms of the player’s on the field, the Vikings 2022 offense isn’t much different for the 2021 offense. That’s just on the surface. There’s really nothing the same. Kevin O’Connell and his offensive coaches have crafted it and he’s calling it. Very little of this year’s offense will be the same as the one called by Klint Kubiak.
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Defense
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DE
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D.J. Wonnum
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DE
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Jonathan Bullard
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DT
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Dalvin Tomlinson
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NT
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Harrison Phillips
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DT
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Michael Pierce
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DE
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Dalvin Tomlinson
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DE
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Danielle Hunter
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OLB
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Danielle Hunter
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LB
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Blake Lynch
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LB
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Jordan Hicks
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LB
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Eric Kendricks
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LB
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Eric Kendricks
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LB
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Nick Vigil
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OLB
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Za’Darius Smith
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CB
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Patrick Peterson
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CB
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Patrick Peterson
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CB
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Bashaud Breeland
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CB
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Cameron Dantzler
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NB
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Mackensie Alexander
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NB
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Chandon Sullivan
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S
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Harrison Smith
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S
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Harrison Smith
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S
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Xavier Woods
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S
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Camryn Bynum
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Five starters return.
Danielle Hunter
Dalvin Tomlinson
Eric Kendricks
Patrick Peterson
Harrison Smith
The changes only start there. The base 4-3 is out. The base 3-4 is in. From front to back, everything has changed. The new defense is so new that I expect some growing pains. Hopefully it’s a quick growth. There was a “bend but don’t break” quality to the defense against the Packers on Sunday but they held up. Only seven points were scored against them. There was even some ferociousness to their play. The pass rushing duo of Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith will be a blast. Hopefully, the harassment of opposing quarterbacks is contagious. There’s mostly raw talent behind them. I can’t wait to see rookie safety Lewis Cine peppered into this defense.
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Special Teams
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K
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Greg Joseph
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K
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Greg Joseph
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P
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Jordan Berry
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P
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Ryan Wright
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LS
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Andrew DePaola
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LS
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Andre DePaola
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KR
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Ihmir Smith-Marsette
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KR
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Kene Nwangwu
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PR
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Dede Westbrook
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PR
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Jalen Reagor
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Seeing as 2022 Greg Joseph looks nothing like 2021 Greg Joseph, there are a lot of changes with the Vikings special teams.
The potential of the return duo of Kene Nwangwu and Jalen Reagor brings fond memories of the days of Cordarrelle Patterson and Marcus Sherels. Nwangwu showed last year that he’s one of the most dangerous kick returners in the league. I can’t wait to se Reagor return some punts. He’s such an explosive athlete. Hopefully, his first explosive returns come Monday Night against his former team.
There’s no “running it back” here. The 2022 Minnesota Vikings are very different from the teams that came before.
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