2021 Minnesota Vikings Satrters?

I was thinking about the offensive and defensive starters for the Minnesota Vikings in 2021. It’s difficult to do that with an offseason of unknowns between now and then. The 2020 Vikings season was frustrating. The most frustrating part was the players that missed much, if not all, of the season. Those missing players were on defense. It’s no surprise that the play of the defense was the most frustrating part of the team. Well, that and special teams. The Vikings’ special teams was so bad in 2020 that I don’t even want to think about that unit until training camp. If then. For now, I’m only thinking about the potential 2021 offensive and defensive starters. The following projected starters are pulled from the players that are currently under contract for the 2021 season. 

Offense

WR	Justin Jefferson
LT	Riley Reiff
LG	Ezra Cleveland
C	Garrett Bradbury
RG	Kyle Hinton
RT	Brian O’Neill
TE	Kyle Rudolph
WR	Adam Thielen
QB	Kirk Cousins
RB	Dalvin Cook
FB	C.J. Ham

Despite a few rough games (Colts, Falcons, Buccaneers) the Vikings offense was mostly good in 2020. There were even stretches during games in which they were great. The offensive line is still the weak link. If the line was at least an average unit every week, the offense would be a chore for any and every defense it faces. Perhaps the biggest questions facing the offense this offseason is whether left tackle Riley Reiff and tight end Kyle Rudolph will be part of the team next season. The Vikings will be facing serious salary cap issues. The seriousness of those issues will be determined by the actual cap number. No matter how serious the cap issues, one or both, probably both, will be asked to take a pay cut. If refused, they could be with other teams next seasons. With the emergence of Irv Smith Jr. and Tyler Conklin the Vikings will be fine at tight end no matter what happens with Rudolph. Personally, I want to see him stay but his contract doesn’t work. A Reiff departure would trigger a slew of position, free agent, and draft decisions. Does Ezra Cleveland move to left tackle or stay at guard? Is a left tackle the pick in the first round? The only thing currently known about the offensive line is that Brian O’Neill, Garrett Bradbury, and Ezra Cleveland will be a part of it. I’ve been curious about Kyle Hinton since he was drafted in the sixth round last April. He had no preseason games so I’ve yet to see him take an NFL snap. Despite that, I have this feeling that either he or Oli Udoh could be part of the starting offensive line moving forward. Then again, I had a similarly good feeling about Dru Samia this time last year. That didn’t work the way that I had it working. The 2020 NFL Draft looks to be a good one for left tackles. That should be a factor in the Reiff debate. 

Defense 

DE	Danielle Hunter
DT	Armon Watts
NT	Michael Pierce
DE	D.J. Wonnum
LB	Anthony Barr
LB	Erick Kendricks
LB	Troy Dye
CB	Cam Dantzler
CB	Jeff Gladney
S	Harrison Smith
S	Josh Metellus

I’m not saying that all of the Vikings defensive woes of 2020 will be righted with the return of the players that missed the season. I am saying that the defense will be much better in 2021 with those players on the field. The Vikings were missing four of their five best defensive players for most, if not all, of the 2020 season. How could the defense not improve with Danielle Hunter, Michael Pierce, Anthony Barr, and Eric Kendricks on the field rather than off it? Jeff Gladney and Cam Dantzler in their second year will also bring improvement. I can’t wait to see the Vikings defense in 2021. The biggest question is the starting safety next to Harrison Smith. I have doubts that a free agency answer is manageable with the expected cap restraints. That leaves the draft or Josh Metellus entering his second year. The Vikings field a third linebacker on about a third of their snaps. In that sense, the third corner is a bigger concern than the third linebacker. Cornerback Mike Hughes will have one more season to show that he deserves a second contract. When he’s healthy he’s shown promise. Unfortunately, he’s been off the field much more than on the past three seasons. When all are healthy, I really the potential of the cornerback trio of Dantzler, Gladney, and Hughes. Three isn’t enough. No team in today’s NFL can ever have enough corners. 

The Vikings offense is mostly set. If Riley Reiff returns, a guard is needed. If Reiff departs, a left tackle and a guard are needed. The defense has a few holes. Defensive tackle, edge, third linebacker, and safety. Players like Kyle Hinton, Armon Watts, D.J. Wonnum, and Troy Dye could step up and fill some of the projected vacancies. If not, players need to be found in free agency and/or the draft. 

These are just some February thoughts on the 2021 Minnesota Vikings starters.