42 Minnesota Vikings Starting Quarterbacks

The Minnesota Vikings are at an exciting moment in their 63 year history. With the departure of Kirk Cousins, the team is pivoting at the quarterback position. Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy were added this offseason. At the soon-to-be age of 27, Darnold has become something of a journeyman quarterback. Initially selected with the third pick of the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, he’s now with his fourth team. The Jets were picking at #3 for a reason. They were terrible. After three forgettable seasons, team and player went in different directions. He was traded to a nearly as terrible Carolina Panthers team in 2021. After two forgettable seasons, team and player went in different directions. He was a backup for the San Francisco 49ers last season. With the Vikings, Darnold has the opportunity to pump some life into his NFL career. He still has the talent that got him selected at #3. He now has the opportunity to play with some offensive talent and a coaching staff that can effectively tap into that talent. The only negative to his new situation is the Vikings selecting J.J. McCarthy with the 10th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He was selected to be the quarterback of the future. Darnold has a great opportunity but he’s clearly holding the place until McCarthy is ready. That could be as early as the first game of this season, as late as the first game of next season, or any game in between. Change is exciting. This moment in Vikings history is exciting. It’s been a long, frustrating, and often painful search for a long-term answer at quarterback. Right now, the future, and even the present, feels so promising. 

Since their first season in 1961, the Vikings have selected five quarterbacks in the first round of the NFL Draft. 

Tommy Kramer (1977)

Daunte Culpepper (1999)

Christian Ponder (2011)

Teddy Bridgewater (2014)

J.J. McCarthy (2024)

Tommy Kramer was always fun and often great when he was on the field. Unfortunately, he wasn’t on the field enough. Injuries kept disrupting consistency and progress. His is definitely a career of what might’ve been. Daunte Culpepper was on an upward trajectory until a knee injury ended his time in Minnesota. Christian Ponder was drafted to be a quarterback that he never had the talent to be. As with Culpepper, a horrible knee injury ended whatever future Teddy Bridgewater might’ve had with the Vikings. Each of the four quarterbacks was drafted to be the next great Vikings quarterback. Two showed great potential, one had potential, and the fourth was Ponder. The Vikings are still searching for their next great quarterback. Hopefully, McCarthy rises to that role. 

Considering that Tarkenton is the Vikings all-time franchise quarterback, it’s shocking that the team once traded him away. At least the same decision-makers had the bright idea to bring him back five years later. 

With last year’s merry-go-round quarterback situation and the current transition period at the position, I’ve been thinking often about the Vikings quarterback past. I’ve been thinking about the consistency and excellence of Fran Tarkenton. In the 1970s, his presence gave me so much confidence and comfort in the present and future. As a naive little kid, I thought that he’d always be the Vikings quarterback. I’ve been thinking about the long, frustrating search for the team’s next franchise quarterback. I’ve been thinking about Darnold’s opportunity and I’ve been thinking a lot about McCarthy’s potential and bright future. 

Whether it’s Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy, a new quarterback will be under center when the Minnesota Vikings open the 2024 season against the New York Giants. Here’s a look at every quarterback that’s started a game for the Vikings. 

The number of starts are in parentheses. 

1961:

George Shaw (4)

Fran Tarkenton (10)

1962

Fran Tarkenton (14)

1963:

Fran Tarkenton (13)

Ron Vander Kelen (1)

1964:

Fran Tarkenton ((14)

1965:

Fran Tarkenton (14)

1966:

Fran Tarkenton (12)

Ron Vander Kelen (1)

Bob Berry (1)

1967:

Joe Kapp (11)

Ron Vander Kelen (3)

1968:

Joe Kapp (14)

1969:

Joe Kapp (13)

Gary Couzzo (1)

1970:

Gary Couzzo (12)

Bob Lee (2)

1971:

Gary Couzzo (8)

Bob Lee (4)

Norm Snead (2)

1972:

Fran Tarkenton (14)

1973:

Fran Tarkenton (14)

1974:

Fran Tarkenton (13)

Bob Berry (1)

1975:

Fran Tarkenton (14)

1976:

Fran Tarkenton (13)

Bob Lee (1)

1977:

Fran Tarkenton (9)

Bob Lee (4)

Tommy Kramer (1)

1978:

Fran Tarkenton (16)

1979:

Tommy Kramer (16)

1980:

Tommy Kramer (15)

Steve Dils (1)

1981:

Tommy Kramer (14)

Steve Dils (2)

1982:

Tommy Kramer (9)

1983:

Steve Dils (12)

Tommy Kramer (3)

Wade Wilson (1)

1984:

Tommy Kramer (9)

Wade Wilson (5)

Archie Manning (2)

1985:

Tommy Kramer (15)

Wade Wilson (1)

1986:

Tommy Kramer (13)

Wade Wilson (3)

1987:

Wade Wilson (7)

Tony Adams (3) - replacement games

Tommy Kramer (5)

1988:

Wade Wilson (10)

Tommy Kramer (6)

1989:

Wade Wilson (12)

Tommy Kramer (4)

1990:

Rich Gannon (12)

Wade Wilson (4)

1991:

Rich Gannon (11)

Wade Wilson (5)

1992:

Rich Gannon (12)

Sean Salisbury (4)

1993:

Jim McMahon (12)

Sean Salisbury (4)

1994:

Warren Moon (15)

Sean Salisbury (1)

1995:

Warren Moon (16)

1996:

Warren Moon (8)

Brad Johnson (8)

1997:

Brad Johnson (13)

Randall Cunningham (3)

1998:

Randall Cunningham (14)

Brad Johnson (2)

1999:

Jeff George (10)

Randall Cunningham (6)

2000:

Daunte Culpepper (16)

2001:

Daunte Culpepper (11)

Spergon Wynn (2)

Todd Bouman (3)

2002:

Daunte Culpepper (16)

2003:

Daunte Culpepper (14)

Gus Frerotte (2)

2004:

Daunte Culpepper (16)

2005:

Daunte Culpepper (7)

Brad Johnson (9)

2006:

Brad Johnson (14)

Tarvaris Jackson (2)

2007:

Tarvaris Jackson (12)

Kelly Holcomb (3)

Brooks Bollinger (1)

2008:

Gus Frerotte (11)

Tarvaris Jackson (5)

2009:

Brett Favre (16)

2010:

Brett Favre (13)

Tarvaris Jackson (1)

Joe Webb (2)

2011:

Donovan McNabb (6)

Christian Ponder (10)

2012:

Christian Ponder (16)

2013:

Christian Ponder (9)

Josh Freeman (1)

Matt Cassel (6)

2014:

Matt Cassel (3)

Teddy Bridgewater (12)

Christian Ponder (1)

2015:

Teddy Bridgewater (16)

2016:

Shaun Hill (1)

Sam Bradford (15)

2017:

Sam Bradford (2)

Case Keenum (14)

2018:

Kirk Cousins (16)

2019:

Kirk Cousins (15)

Sean Mannion (1)

2020:

Kirk Cousins (16)

2021:

Kirk Cousins (16)

Sean Mannion (1)

2022:

Kirk Cousins (17)

2023:

Kirk Cousins (8)

Jaren Hall (2)

Josh Dobbs (4)

Nick Mullens (3)

Through 63 years, the Minnesota Vikings have started 42 quarterbacks. 

George Shaw

Fran Tarkenton

Ron Vander Kelen

Bob Berry

Joe Kapp

Gary Couzzo

Bob Lee

Norm Snead

Tommy Kramer

Steve Dils

Wade Wilson

Archie Manning

Tony Adams - replacement games

Rich Gannon

Sean Salisbury

Jim McMahon

Warren Moon

Brad Johnson

Randall Cunningham

Jeff George

Daunte Culpepper

Spergon Wynn

Todd Bouman

Gus Frerotte

Tarvaris Jackson

Kelly Holcomb

Brooks Bollinger

Brett Favre

Joe Webb

Donovan McNabb

Christian Ponder

Josh Freeman

Matt Cassel

Teddy Bridgewater

Shaun Hill

Sam Bradford

Case Keenum

Kirk Cousins

Sean Mannion

Jaren Hall

Josh Dobbs

Nick Mullens

Dalton’s Back

According to Adam Schefter, Ian Rapoport, Alec Lewis and the usual cast of news-breakers, the Minnesota Vikings are bringing back guard Dalton Risner. All offseason, the coaches have supported Blake Brandel as the team’s starting left guard. He may end up being the starter but it now appears he’ll have competition. 

Dalton Risner originally signed last early last season. After making cameo appearances in a few games, he was elevated to starting left guard after Ezra Cleveland was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Risner played well through 11 starts. He played well enough that many, fans and local media, assumed that he’d be re-signed early in the offseason. That didn’t happen and gigantic, fifth-year Brandel emerged as the unquestioned starter. Now, it appears there’ll be a competition for the only unsettled position on the offensive line. Competition is good.

Vikings fans rarely agree on anything. That’s probably true of most team’s fans but it’s especially true of Vikings fans. Over the past couple months, it became increasingly clear that nearly every Vikings fan wanted Dalton Risner re-signed. I was a bit torn on the situation. My offseason thoughts on the team’s roster are a constant churn. Some days, I was all for a Risner return. I’ve liked him since he was one of the top offensive line prospects in the 2019 NFL Draft. Other days, I wanted to see the Vikings move forward with Blake Brandel. Perhaps it was because he was a homegrown player. He’s hung around the roster and worked his way to this earned opportunity. Perhaps it was because of his size at 6’7” 315lb. He always seemed to play well when needed. He started five games over the past two seasons. Those appearances were at the tackle position that he’s played since college. At guard, he’s an unknown. In that sense, a Risner return makes a lot of sense. In every way, the Vikings offensive line group got deeper and much better with Dalton Risner back on the roster. 

Minnesota Vikings Offensive Line

Starters:

 LT  Christian Darrisaw

 LG Dalton Risner/Blake Brandel

 C   Garrettt Bradbury

RG Ed Ingram

RT  Brian O’Neill

Depth:

David Quessenberry 

Walter Rouse 

Dan Feeney

Michael Jurgens

Henry Byrd

Tyrese Robinson

Jeremy Flax

Doug Nester

Matt Cindric

Spencer Rolland

Vikings Sign Another Draft Pick

And then there were two.

Yesterday, the Minnesota Vikings announced that cornerback Khyree Jackson has signed his rookie contract. Selected in the fourth round out of Oregon, Jackson did not have the typical route to the NFL. He left the first community college he attended, returned to his Maryland home, and went to work in a supermarket. In 2019, after two years of not playing football, Jackson decided to give the sport another shot. He enrolled at Fort Scott Community College in Kansas. He flipped to East Mississippi Community College in 2020 and then jumped to Alabama in 2021. After two years with the Crimson Tride, Jackson transferred to Oregon. He had the attention of the NFL with his All-Pac-12 season with the Ducks. 

At 6’4”, Khyree Jackson is already the biggest cornerback in the league. He also moves and transitions like a much smaller corner. Jackson joins a very undecided Vikings position group. Byron Murphy Jr. is probably the only corner that’s assured a spot on the field. Akayleb Evans has been a starter each of his two years in the league. Concussions kept him from completing his rookie season. While showing promise last season, inconsistencies resulted in a couple benchings in the final games. Mekhi Blackmon played his way onto the field as a rookie last season, earning a handful of starts. Shaq Griffin was signed this offseason and is probably penciled in as a starter opposite Murphy in base. Nothing is settled. There are many things about Jackson that make me think that come September, he will have earned a significant role on the field. 

The Vikings selected seven players in the 2024 NFL Draft. Five of those players have signed their rookie contracts.

4. Khyree Jackson, CB, Oregon

6. Walter Rouse, OT, Oklahoma

6. Will Reichard, K, Alabama

7. Michael Jurgens, C/G, Wake Forest

7. Levi Drake Rodriguez, DT, Texas A&M-Commerce

Two draft picks remain unsigned. Both were selected in the first round.

1. J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan

1. Dallas Turner, OLB, Alabama

Hopefully, the Vikings can get those first round picks signed soon.

Intriguing Minnesota Vikings Position Groups

OTAs, minicamps, the long weeks before the start of training camp. If one is inclined to spend way too much time thinking about their team, this is the time of the NFL offseason for that thinking. Rosters are at a robust 90 players (91 if the team has an international player with roster exemption). Position groups are flush with numbers. There’s a lot to consider. Offseason roster churn and competition can be reasons some position groups are particularly intriguing. Here are some of the position groups on the Minnesota Vikings roster that I find particularly intriguing.  

While the potential quarterback competition between veteran Sam Darnold and rookie J.J. McCarthy is intriguing, I’m skipping it here. Quarterbacks already get so much of the attention. They don’t need any more of it for this little exercise. 

Intriguing Minnesota Vikings Position Groups

Receivers

Justin Jefferson

Jordan Addison

Brandon Powell

Jalen Nailor

Trent Sherfield

N’Keal Harry

Trishton Jackson

Lucky Jackson

Thayer Thomas

Malik Knowles

Jershaun Jones

Ty James

Devron Harper

I’m always drawn to the receivers. The Vikings group is topped with excellence. Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison could emerge as the best pass-catching duo in the league. After them, there’s a lot of questions. If he can stay healthy, unlike last year, I believe that Jalen Nailor can step up as an impactful #3. Brandon Powell is probably penciled into that role right now. He made some key plays in key moments last year. Trent Sherfield was an interesting offseason addition. He’s bounced around a bit in his six years in the league. He’s a physical receiver, an accomplished blocker, and makes an impact on special teams. When given the opportunity, he’s contributed as a receiver. Sherfield might be the receiver that intrigues me the most. I’m curious to see what Kevin O’Connell and the offensive coaches have planned for him. The only sure thing with the Vikings receivers is two players at the top. I can easily see Powell, Nailor, and Sherfield rounding out the receiver group. I can almost as easily see someone like Trishton Jackson or undrafted free agent Jershaun Jones surprising and making the final 53. 

Outside Linebackers

Jonathan Greenard

Andrew Van Ginkel

Dallas Turner

Patrick Jones II

Andre Carter II

Jihad Ward

Gabriel Murphy

Bo Richter

Owen Porter

No Vikings position group changed more from last year to this year than the outside linebackers. Only Patrick Jones II and Andre Carter II return. It’s difficult and somewhat painful to imagine a Vikings defense that doesn’t include Danielle Hunter. I miss him already. D.J. Wonnum also departed. So did Marcus Davenport. He won’t be missed as he did pretty much nothing in his single year in Minnesota. While I’ll miss Hunter, I do really like the overhaul of the outside linebackers. Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner are outstanding additions. I can not wait to see what Brian Flores has planned for the defense, in general, and the outside linebackers, in particular. The positional versatility of Van Ginkel and Turner are especially intriguing. While Patrick Jones II probably has the edge for one of the remaining roster spots due to his experience, I think the competition is pretty wide open after Greenard, Van Ginkel, and Turner. I could easily see the team going with the youthful, and intriguing, potential of Carter and Gabriel Murphy. 

Cornerbacks

Byron Murphy Jr.

Mekhi Blackmon

Shaq Griffin

Akayleb Evans

Andrew Booth Jr.

Najee Thompson

Khyree Jackson

A.J. Green III

Jaylin Williams

Dwight McGlothern

The cornerback position wasn’t overhauled quite like the outside linebackers. There’s still a lot of change going on with this position. OTAs have presented Byron Murphy Jr. and free agent addition Shaq Griffin as the starters on the outside in the base defense. Murphy moves inside with Griffin and Akayleb on the outside in nickel. I have doubts that’s how it shakes out when the games count. I get that Griffin was brought in for a reason. I just have a feeling that the Vikings top three corners will be Murphy, Mekhi Blackmon, and Khyree Jackson. I expect to see six corners on the final 53. Right now, I think those six will be

Byron Murphy Jr.

Mekhi Blackmon

Khyree Jackson

Shaq Griffin

Akayleb Evans

Najee Thompson

I could even see a scenario in which undrafted Dwight McGlothern emerges and takes the spot of Griffin or Evans. The unfortunate thing is that 2022 second-round pick Andrew Booth Jr. might be fighting for his roster life. 

Defensive Linemen

Harrison Phillips

Jaquelin Roy

Jonathan Bullard

James Lynch

Jerry Tillery

Jonah Williams

Levi Drake Rodriguez

Taki Taimani

Tyler Manoa

This group is probably best described as “workman-like.” Harrison Phillips is probably the only player of the group that can be considered established. He probably doesn’t keep opposing coaches up at night scheming ways to slow him. Jonathan Bullard was a solid contributor last year. He likely continues as such this year. Free agent addition Jerry Tillery was a one-time first round pick. That was several years and two teams ago. If he plays to the talent that got him selected in the first round, he might be the steal of the offseason. His best year in the league was last year so maybe he’s on the upswing. At 6’6” and about 300lbs, he looks the part of an impactful defensive lineman. Personally, it’s Jaquelin Roy and seventh-round pick Levi Drake Rodriguez that make defensive line an intriguing position group. The Vikings really need, at least, a couple players to take a huge step forward. Several huge steps forward. I like Roy and Rodriguez to be those players. Roy has the talent to be an impact player. He showed some flashes of that last season. Hopefully, it can be more than flashes this season. Rodriguez is one of those underrated, high energy players that are so easy to like. Like John Randle before him, I want to see this small-school Texas football player become a Tasmanian Devil-like blur on the defensive line. 

It’s obvious that I find the Vikings defense intriguing. I could’ve included safety and inside linebacker on this little list as well. Safety goes five-deep with starter-level quality. The biggest question about inside linebacker is the number of snaps in which both Ivan Pace Jr. and Blake Cashman are on the field together. The Vikings offense is easy. Other than quarterback and receiver depth, that side of the ball is pretty straightforward. 

Minnesota Vikings 91-man Roster By Age

While we wait for another round of OTAs here’s a look at the Minnesota Vikings 91-man Roster broken down by the age of the players. 

21

J.J. McCarthy

Dallas Turner

22

Jordan Addison

Trey Knox

Dewayne McBride

Dwight McGlothern

23

Andrew Booth Jr.

K.J. Cloyd

Ty James

Malik Knowles

Gabriel Murphy

Doug Nester

Ivan Pace Jr.

Will Reichard

Bo Richter

Levi Drake Rodriguez

Walter Rouse

Jaquelin Roy

Najee Thompson

Jay Ward

Ryan Wright

24

Brian Asomoah II

Abraham Beauplan

Henry Byrd

Andre Carter II

Matthew Cindric

Lewis Cine

Christian Darrisaw

Akayleb Evans

Jeremy Flax

Dallas Gant

Devron Harper

Khyree Jackson

Justin Jefferson

Jeshaun Jones

Michael Jurgens

Tyler Manoa

Owen Porter

Tyree Robinson

Spencer Rolland

Taki Taimani

Jaylin Williams

25

Mekhi Blackmon

Camryn Bynum

A.J. Green III

Ed Ingram

Theo Jackson

Pat Jones II

James Lynch

Nick Muse

Jalen Nailor

Seth Vernon

26

Ty Chandler

Sam Darnold

Jaren Hall

N’Keal Harry

T.J. Hockenson

Lucky Jackson

Trishton Jackson

Josh Metellus

Byron Murphy Jr.

Kene Nwangwu

John Parker Romo

Thayer Thomas

27

Blake Brandel

Myles Gaskin

Jonathan Greenard

Josh Oliver

Jerry Tillery

28

Garrett Bradbury

Blake Cashman

Shaq Griffin

Brian O’Neill

Harrison Phillips

Brandon Powell

Sammis Reyes

Trent Sherfield Jr.

Andrew Van Ginkel

Jonah Williams

29

Dan Feeney

Aaron Jones

Nick Mullens

Johnny Mundt

30

Jonathan Bullard

Kamu Grugier-Hill

C.J. Ham

Robert Tonyan

Jihad Ward

33

David Quessenberry 

35

Harrison Smith

36

Andrew DePaola

A Somewhat Interesting Fact For Each AFC Team

In an effort to pass the time between OTAs and before the start of training camp, I decided to come up with an interesting fact for each NFL team. Yesterday, it was the NFC. Today, it’s the AFC.

Pittsburgh Steelers

For the past fifty years, the Steelers have consistently been one of the league’s best teams. Six Super Bowl titles, eight Super Bowl appearances, and seemingly annual playoff involvement. They were consistently one of the league’s worst teams for their first forty years. 

Cleveland Browns

This is more disappointing than interesting. Founded in 1999, the current Browns team is an expansion team. The Browns team with a great history (4 AAFC titles and 4 NFL titles) is the Baltimore Ravens.

Baltimore Ravens

For some ridiculous reason the Ravens have former Baltimore Colts players in their Ring of Honor.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals of the 1980s were so close to being the Giants of the 2000s. The Giants famously upset the mighty Patriots in the Super Bowl in 2007 and 2011. The Bengals were close to upsetting the mighty 49ers in the Super Bowl in 1981 and 1988. Granted, no one knew that the 49ers were mighty in 1981. 

New England Patriots

Formed in 1960, the Patriots have played for a league title in every decade of their existence except the 1970s. The Oakland Raiders robbed them of that chance in the 1976 playoffs. In that sense, the “Tuck Rule” game was payback. If not for some very questionable calls, the Vikings would’ve played the Patriots in Super Bowl XI. 

New York Jets

The Jets were originally the Titans. They were a mess as the Titans. Everything changed when they drafted and signed Joe Namath and hired Weeb Ewbank as head coach.

Buffalo Bills

The Bills were an AFL powerhouse. They won AFL titles in 1964 and 1965. They may even have been a better league representative than the Kansas City Chiefs for the first Super Bowl in 1966. 

Miami Dolphins

Formed in 1966, the Dolphins were terrible for their first four seasons. Then they pried Don Shula away from the Baltimore Colts and everything changed. From 1970-85, the Shula-led Dolphins made the playoffs 12 times and appeared in five Super Bowls. They were the NFL’s dominant team at the start of the 1970s. They went to three consecutive Super Bowls from 1971-73, winning Super Bowls VII and VIII. The 1972 Dolphins are the NFL’s only undefeated champion. 

Indianapolis Colts

One of the NFL’s greatest “what ifs” is “what if” then Baltimore Colts owner Robert Irsay wasn’t such a maniac and let general manager Ernie Accorsi do his job in 1983. Apparently, Accorsi was close to signing top pick John Elway when Irsay swooped in and traded the quarterback to the Denver Broncos. With excitement surrounding the possibilities with Elway perhaps the Colts never bolt to Indianapolis. The league would be a very different place. The Colts would still be in Baltimore. No Ravens. Perhaps the Browns stay in Cleveland without Baltimore being available. 

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars made it all the way to the 1996 AFC Championship game in their second year of existence.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans were much more interesting when they were the Oilers in Houston.

Houston Texans

The Texans are the third professional football team named the Texans. There was the NFL’s short-lived Dallas Texans of 1952. They were terrible and packed it in after a single season. There was the Dallas Texans of the AFL from 1960-62. They were pretty good. They won the AFL title in 1962. Then they moved to Kansas City and became the Chiefs. 

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs were the Dallas Texans for their first three years (1960-62). During those three years they shared the Cotton Bowl with the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. The Texans were the better and more entertaining team, winning an AFL title in 1962, but they lost the war for fans and attention. The Texans left Dallas for Kansas City after winning that title. 

Las Vegas Raiders

If the Raiders can win a title while in Las Vegas, they would join the Rams as title-winners in three cities. The Rams won in Cleveland, Los Angeles, and St. Louis. The Raiders have won in Oakland and Los Angeles. 

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers are on their second stint in Los Angeles. They played in Los Angeles in 1960 before moving to San Diego in 1961.

Denver Broncos

The Broncos of the early 1960s wore some of the most hideous uniforms ever seen. 

A Somewhat Interesting Fact For Each NFC Team

In an effort to pass the time between OTAs and the start of training camp, I decided to come up with a somewhat interesting fact for each NFL team. Today, it’s the NFC. Tomorrow, it’s the AFC.

Minnesota Vikings

This one’s tough as I find everything about the Vikings interesting. I’ll start at the beginning. 

The Minnesota Vikings were originally aligned with the American Football League. They even took part in the AFL’s first draft. A nervous NFL pried the Vikings away about a month after the draft. The departure forced the AFL to add the Oakland Raiders. So, the Raiders were an original AFL team because the Vikings weren’t. 

Green Bay Packers

If there’s anything interesting about the Packers, it’s probably their funky “public” ownership deal. It’s fun that fans can “own” a piece of the Packers. I’m no fan of the team but I own the Packers. That’s fun. It might be interesting as well. 

Chicago Bears

In their long history, there have been three iterations of the Bears

Decatur Staleys

Chicago Staleys

Chicago Bears

They won an NFL title as the Chicago Staleys (1921).

Detroit Lions

The 1936 Lions team averaged an NFL record 240.4 rushing yards per game. 

More recently, the Lions have more associated with disappointing football. The Lions were a beast in the 1930s and 1950s. They won an NFL title in 1935. They won three titles in the 1950s (1952, 53, 57).

New York Giants

The Giants won their first NFL title in their third year of existence (1927). They won their second in 1934 in the league’s second scheduled championship game. Losing 10-3 at the half to the Chicago Bears, the Giants switched to sneakers for better footing on the frozen turf of the Polo Grounds. Scoring 27 points in the fourth quarter, the Giants “easily” defeated the Bears in the Sneakers Game, 30-13. 

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles that we know today are actually the original Pittsburgh Steelers. In 1941, Art Rooney sold the Pittsburgh Steelers to Alexis Thompson. With that money, Rooney bought part ownership of the Philadelphia Eagles. At that point in his life, Eagles owner Bert Bell had everything but money. Being a city boy, Thompson was no fan of Pittsburgh. Bert Bell and Art Rooney are prominent in NFL history. Alexis Thompson is not. There’s a terrific reason for that. Rooney loved Pittsburgh. Bell loved football. Thompson loved the city lights. Rooney and Bell essentially traded cities with Thompson. Rooney and Bell took the Eagles to Pittsburgh to become the Steelers. Thompson took the Steelers to Philadelphia to become the Eagles. As a result, the Eagles team that we know today is the original Steelers team. The Steelers team that we know today is the original Eagles team. 

Washington Commanders

This team would have a much less tragic history if someone had removed George Preston Marshall and taken ownership control when they were the Boston Braves. The NFL has a colorful, interesting history. Marshall is the worst part of that history. 

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys entered the league as an expansion team without the benefit of any sort of expansion draft. They didn’t even benefit from a regular draft. Their first season was in 1960. Their first draft was in 1961. 

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers made it all the way to the 1996 NFC Championship game in their second year of existence.

Atlanta Falcons

It took the Falcons 32 years to make it to their first NFC Championship game.

New Orleans Saints

It took the Saints 40 years to make it to their first NFC Championship game.  

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers started their NFL days in the AFC. They were in the AFC West as a rookie team. Then the league jammed the new Florida team into a comfortably northern NFC Central. The Buccaneers competed against the Vikings, Packers, Bears, and Lions until the league-wide realignment of 2002. They’ve been in the much more geographically appropriate NFC South ever since. 

San Francisco 49ers

If they hadn’t been celebrating so heartedly at halftime, the 49ers might’ve been playing for their first NFL title in 1957 rather than 1981. The 49ers led the Lions 24-7 at halftime of the ‘57 playoff game. They assumed a win and started celebrating. The Lions could hear that celebration through the thin locker room walls of Kezar Stadium. Properly motivated, the Lions came back in the second half for a 31-27 win. The 49ers had even started printing tickets for the NFL Title game against the Cleveland Browns at halftime. One of the tickets to the 1957 NFL Championship game that never happened is on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks were initially placed in the NFC West in 1976. They moved to the AFC West in 1977 and remained there until 2001. They returned to the NFC West in 2002 and have remained there ever since. 

Los Angeles Rams 

The Rams have won NFL titles in each of the three cities that they have played.

Cleveland: 1945

Los Angeles: 1951 and 2021

St. Louis: 1999

Arizona Cardinals

With a history easily traced to the 1890s, the Cardinals are the league’s oldest team. 

2024 NFL Draft First Round Signing Tracker

The signing of the 10th and 17th picks can’t happen soon enough. Here’s a look at the signing progress of the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. 

1. Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams, QB, USC

2. Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

3. New England Patriots: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina

4. Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State - Signed

5. Los Angeles Chargers: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame

6. New York Giants: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU - Signed

7. Tennessee Titans: JC Latham, OT, Alabama - Signed

8. Atlanta Falcons: Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington

9. Chicago Bears: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington

10. Minnesota Vikings: J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan

11. New York Jets: Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State - Signed

12. Denver Broncos: Bo Nix, QB, Oregon - Signed

13. Las Vegas Raiders: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia - Signed

14. New Orleans Saints: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State -Signed

15. Indianapolis Colts: Laiatu Latu, Edge, UCLA -Signed

16. Seattle Seahawks: Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas - Signed

17. Minnesota Vikings: Dallas Turner, Edge, Alabama

18. Cincinnati Bengals: Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia

19. Los Angeles Rams: Jared Verse, Edge, Florida State

20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington

21. Miami Dolphins: Chop Robinson, Edge, Penn State

22. Philadelphia Eagles: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo

23. Jacksonville Jaguars: Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU

24. Detroit Lions: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama

25. Green Bay Packers: Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Graham Barton, OL, Duke

27. Arizona Cardinals: Darius Robinson, Edge, Missouri

28. Kansas City Chiefs: Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas

29. Dallas Cowboys: Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma - Signed

30. Baltimore Ravens: Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson - Signed

31. San Francisco 49ers: Ricky Pearsall, WR, Florida

32. Carolina Panthers: Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina - Signed

Minnesota Vikings First Round Draft History

The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft may have been the most aggressive in Minnesota Vikings franchise history. With Kirk Cousins departing for the Atlanta Falcons, it was expected that the Vikings would do everything necessary to come out of the first round with a quarterback. Expectations further increased when they acquired a second pick in the first round in a trade with the Houston Texans. Two first round picks (#11 and #23), a desperate need for a quarterback, and scattered needs on defense. The Vikings were in position to be aggressive, very aggressive. They were. They traded up one spot, from #11 to #10, to secure Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy. If they’d come out of the first round with only McCarthy, it would’ve been a franchise-changing opening night to the draft. The Vikings had never before selected a quarterback in the Top 10 of a draft. They weren’t done. They still had the #23 pick. That pick was supposed to have been used to secure that quarterback. It was preserved and available to address other needs. Vikings jumped from #23 to #17 to select Alabama outside linebacker Dallas Turner. He wasn’t supposed to be available anywhere near the 17th pick. He was universally considered one of the best defensive players in the draft and an easy Top 10 pick. In McCarthy and Turner, the Vikings added potential cornerstone players. Three trades, two elite football players, it’s the most aggressive first I’ve seen from the Vikings. Thinking about this exciting first round has me thinking about past first rounds. Perhaps, thinking about the past calms my anticipation of the future. Who knows? Anyway, the Minnesota Vikings have been taking part in the NFL Draft for 64 years. In those 64 drafts, the Vikings have selected 67 players in the first round. Here are those first round selections:

1961: Tommy Mason, RB, Tulane
1962: No Pick
1963: Jim Dunaway, DT, Mississippi
1964: Carl Eller, DE, Minnesota
1965: Jack Snow, WR, Notre Dame
1966: Jerry Shay, DT, Purdue
1967: Clinton Jones, RB, Michigan State
          Gene Washington, WR, Michigan State
          Alan Page, DT, Notre Dame
1968: Ron Yary, OT, USC
1969: No Pick
1970: John Ward, OT, Oklahoma State
1971: Leo Hayden, RB, Ohio State
1972: Jeff Siemon, LB, Stanford
1973: Chuck Foreman, RB, Miami
1974: Fred McNeill, LB, UCLA
          Steve Riley, OT, USC
1975: Mark Mullaney, DT, Colorado State
1976: James White, DT, Oklahoma State
1977: Tommy Kramer, QB, Rice
1978: Randy Holloway, DE, Pittsburgh
1979: Ted Brown, RB, North Carolina State
1980: Doug Martin, DE, Washington
1981: No Pick
1982: Darrin Nelson, RB, Stanford
1983: Joey Browner, S, USC
1984: Keith Millard, DE, Washington State
1985: Chris Doleman, LB, Pittsburgh
1986: Gerald Robinson, DE, Aubrun
1987: D.J. Dozier, RB, Penn State
1988: Randall McDaniel, OG, Arizona State
1989: No Pick
1990: No Pick
1991: No Pick
1992: No Pick
1993: Robert Smith, RB, Ohio State
1994: DeWayne Washington, CB, North Carolina State
          Todd Steussie, OT, California
1995: Derrick Alexander, DE, Florida State
          Korey Stringer, OT, Ohio State
1996: Duane Clemons, DE, California
1997: Dwayne Rudd, LB, Alabama
1998: Randy Moss, WR, Marshall
1999: Daunte Culpepper, QB, Central Florida
          Dimitrius Underwood, DE, Michigan State
2000: Chris Hovan, DT, Boston College
2001: Michael Bennett, RB, Wisconsin
2002: Bryant McKinnie, OT, Miami
2003: Kevin Williams, DT, Oklahoma State
2004: Kenechi Udeze, DE, USC
2005: Troy Williamson, WR, South Carolina
           Erasmus James, DE, Wisconsin
2006: Chad Greenway, LB, Iowa
2007: Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma
2008: No Pick
2009: Percy Harvin, WR, Florida
2010: No Pick
2011: Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State
2012: Matt Kalil, OT, USC
          Harrison Smith, S, Notre Dame
2013: Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida
          Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State
          Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee
2014: Anthony Barr, LB, UCLA
          Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville
2015: Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
2016: Laquon Treadwell, WR, Mississippi
2017: No Pick
2018: Mike Hughes, CB, Central Florida
2019: Garrett Bradbury, C, North Carolina State
2020: Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU
          Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU
2021: Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech
2022: Lewis Cine, S, Georgia

2023: Jordan Addison, WR, USC

2024: J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan

          Dallas Turner, Edge, Alabama

A Breakdown:

Hall of Famers:
Carl Eller
Alan Page
Ron Yary
Chris Doleman
Randall McDaniel
Randy Moss
Adrian Peterson will join this list.

If I were to pick a past first round pick that hasn’t received the Hall of Fame consideration that he deserves, that player would be Chuck Foreman. There was a four-five year stretch in which he was arguably the best running back in the league. He was certainly the most versatile. He was such a fun back. 

Joey Browner and Keith Millard would be in Canton if injuries hadn’t whittled away at their career. 

By position:

Quarterbacks (5):
Tommy Kramer
Daunte Culpepper
Christian Ponder
Teddy Bridgewater

J.J. McCarthy

Running Backs (10):
Tommy Mason
Clinton Jones
Leo Hayden
Chuck Foreman
Ted Brown
Darrin Nelson
D.J. Dozier
Robert Smith
Michael Bennett
Adrian Peterson

Receivers (9):
Jack Snow
Gene Washington
Randy Moss
Troy Williamson
Percy Harvin
Cordarrelle Patterson
Laquon Treadwell
Justin Jefferson

Jordan Addison

Offensive Linemen (10):
Ron Yary
John Ward
Steve Riley
Randall McDaniel
Todd Steussie
Korey Stringer
Bryant McKinnie
Matt Kalil
Garrett Bradbury
Christian Darrisaw

Defensive Linemen (18):
Jim Dunaway
Carl Eller
Jerry Shay
Alan Page
Mark Mullaney
James White
Randy Holloway
Doug Martin
Keith Millard
Gerald Robinson
Derrick Alexander
Duane Clemons
Dimitrius Underwood
Chris Hovan
Kevin Williams
Keneche Udeze
Erasmus James
Sharrif Floyd

Linebackers (7):
Jeff Siemon
Fred McNeill
Chris Doleman
Dwayne Rudd
Chad Greenway
Anthony Barr

Dallas Turner

Cornerbacks (5):
DeWayne Washington
Xavier Rhodes
Trae Waynes
Mike Hughes
Jeff Gladney

Safeties (3):
Joey Browner
Harrison Smith
Lewis Cine

It’s interesting that defensive line is by far the most popular first round position but a defensive lineman hasn’t been selected in the first round since 2013. While not technically a defensive lineman, the Vikings did address their pass rushing this year with the selection of outside linebacker Dallas Turner. 

During the NFL-AFL bidding wars of the 1960s, drafted players had options. They could sign with the established NFL team that drafted them or they could sign with the newbie AFL team that drafted them. The Vikings lost 1963 first-round pick Jim Dunaway to the Buffalo Bills. He developed into an integral player on one of the best defenses in the AFL. He would’ve paired quite nicely with Alan Page in the middle of Vikings defensive line. Or, maybe the Vikings don’t draft Page if Dunaway is already playing well on the line. We’ll never know. 

The Vikings traded 1965 first-round pick Jack Snow to the Los Angeles Rams before he ever played a snap in Minnesota. Despite playing college football in the Midwest at Notre Dame, I believe Snow didn’t like the snow and wanted to play professionally closer to his Southern California home. 

If two can be a group, Lewis Cine joined an impressive group of safeties drafted in the first round. Here’s hoping that Cine matches the greatness of Joey Browner and Harrison Smith. He has the talent. So far, Cine is about as far from Browner and Smith as a player can be. 

Picks that thrilled me to the point of hyperventilation:
Joey Browner
Randall McDaniel
Dwayne Rudd
RANDY MOSS
Chris Hovan
Bryant McKinnie
Chad Greenway
Adrian Peterson
Percy Harvin
Harrison Smith
Anthony Barr
Teddy Bridgewater
Justin Jefferson

J.J. McCarthy

Dallas Turner

The selection of Randy Moss in 1998 damn near killed me.

Then, there’s this one. 
I had watched a lot of Darrin Nelson at Stanford and he was a terrific back. I was thrilled when the Vikings drafted him but my thrill was muted a bit by the fact that Marcus Allen was still available. I hadn't seen as much of Allen in college as I'd seen of Nelson but I'd seen enough. I knew that Allen was going to be the better professional running back but I did really like Nelson’s versatility in the Vikings offense. 

Picks that disappointed so, so much as players:
Dwayne Rudd
Bryant McKinnie

I was thrilled when both players were drafted but I can't remember ever being thrilled watching either play. Dwayne Rudd put more energy into celebrating routine plays than he ever put into actually making plays. For the entirety of his career, Bryant McKinnie simply showed no energy and no interest while he was on the field. He made one Pro Bowl, probably because Brett Favre made him look better than he was, and was sent home before the game was even played. Who does that? McKinnie being sent home from the Pro Bowl was less surprising than his being selected for the game. I've never been one to hate the players that play for the team that I love but I hated seeing these two players play for the Vikings. I was thrilled when both were drafted but I was more thrilled when they left.

On eleven occasions, the Vikings made multiple picks in the first round. The success with those multiple picks is wide-ranging. There’s the high of selecting Clinton Jones, Gene Washington, and Alan Page in 1967. There’s the brutal low of selecting Troy Williamson and Erasmus James in 2005. I’m expecting the first night haul of J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner will be closer to that of 1967 than 2005. 

On nine occasions, the Vikings made no selections in the first round. Four of those were the rough draft years of 1989-92. The Vikings traded their 1989 first round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for linebacker Mike Merriweather. That was a good trade. The Vikings traded their 1990-92 first round picks, several other picks, and several players to the Dallas Cowboys for Herschel Walker. That was a bad trade. A very bad trade.  

As a youngster in California, I fell for the Vikings in the early 1970s. The first draft that I really remember following was the 1976 draft that brought James and Sammy White to Minnesota. Thanks to the tremendous work of Joel Buschbaum, Paul Zimmerman, and Mel Kiper I gradually started to understand and appreciate the football fun of the NFL Draft. 

Top 20 Minnesota Vikings Players

On a recent podcast, the fine folks at Skor North picked their Top 20 Minnesota Vikings Players. The idea has been rattling around my head ever since. So, here’s another look at the Top 20 Minnesota Vikings Players. This ranking is a varying combination of “best” and “most important” players.

20. Ed Ingram, G

19. Ty Chandler, RB

18. Garrett Bradbury, C

17. Dallas Turner, Edge

16. Harrison Smith, S

15. Byron Murphy Jr., CB

14. Blake Cashman, LB

13. Harrison Phillips, DT

12. Josh Metellus, S

11. Jordan Addison, WR

10. Aaron Jones, RB

  9. Camryn Bynum, S

  8. Sam Darnold/J.J. McCarthy, QB

  7. Andrew Van Ginkel, Edge

  6. Ivan Pace Jr., LB

  5. Brian O’Neill, OT

  4. Jonathan Greenard, Edge

  3. T.J. Hockenson, TE

  2. Christian Darrisaw, OT

  1. Justin Jefferson, WR

The Top 3 are pretty easy. After that, the next 10-12 could be in nearly any order. 

A few other thoughts:

1. Perhaps it’s simply blind optimism but I expect any quarterback that starts for the Vikings to be successful. That’s why I believe the various talking heads that are saying that Sam Darnold could keep the job through the season. If he’s playing well and the Vikings are winning, why make a change? As much as I want to see J.J. McCarthy on the field I want to see the team win even more. 

2. I believe that Dallas Turner’s stay outside of the Top 10 on a list like this will be very brief. 

3. I also believe that rookie corner Khyree Jackson will emerge as an early starter and soon break into the list. 

4. Four members of the offensive line is on this list

Ed Ingram

Garrett Bradbury

Brian O’Neill

Christian Darrisaw

The tackles, Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw, are two of the best and most important players on the team. With the Vikings introducing a new quarterback, Garrett Bradbury’s excellence in coordinating the offensive line and making the line calls will be crucial. Ed Ingram has made steady improvement in his two years in the league. Further improvement is needed but it feels like he’s on his way to a solid Vikings career. The missing offensive lineman is whoever plays left guard. Right now, Blake Brandel is in the pole position to make the position his. 

5. The Vikings defensive players selected at the top of the 2022 NFL Draft might have a fading spotlight on them. Lewis Cine, Andrew Booth Jr., and Brian Asamoah were drafted to take the Vikings defense into the next era. Going into their third year, they were supposed to be easy picks for a list like this. So far, none have even scratched out a contributing role. This could be their last opportunity to reverse their Vikings story. 

Minnesota Vikings Projected Starters

NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal is going through his annual exercise of projecting the starters of each of the league’s teams. The Minnesota Vikings and the NFC North are up soon. Here’s a look at the Vikings starters in advance of Rosenthal’s thoughts. 

Minnesota Vikings Projected Starters

Offense

WR	Justin Jefferson
TE	T.J.Hockenson
LT	Christian Darrisaw
LG	Blake Brandel
C	Garrett Bradbury
RG	Ed Ingram
RT	Brian O’Neill
WR	Jordan Addison
QB	Sam Darnold
RB	Aaron Jones
FB	C.J. Ham

Other than quarterback, and perhaps left guard, the Vikings offense is pretty straightforward. Until first-round pick J.J. McCarthy steps into the role, it’s probably best to assume that Sam Darnold is QB1. Blake Brandel will have the first shot to make the left guard position his. 

T.J. Hockenson is recovering from the torn ACL that ended his 2023 season in Week 16. Returning to the field in time for the start of the season is extremely optimistic. Until his return, Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt will be filling that large void. 

Defense

DE	Jonathan Greenard
NT	Harrison Phillips
DE	Jaquelin Roy
OLB	Dallas Turner
LB	Ivan Pace Jr.
LB	Blake Cashman
OLB	Andrew Van Ginkel
CB	Byron Murphy Jr.
CB	Mekhi Blackman
S	Harrison Smith
S	Cam Bynum
NB	Josh Metellus

I can not wait to see what coordinator Brian Flores has planned for the Vikings defense. He worked wonders with a marginally talented group last year. With better talent better suited for his somewhat position-less defense, expectations are high, real high. I really don’t know where to start in projecting the Vikings defensive starters. The weakest group, on paper, is the defensive line. Does that put more edge rushers on the field? Who knows. Last year, Flores often flooded the field with extra safeties. That was due to the presence of a bunch of talented safeties as well as some suspect corners. The cornerback group is a bit more robust this year. Does that take some of those safeties off the field and put extra corners on it? Who knows? All I know is that this offseason’s infusion of defensive talent will give Flores options. There will be a handful of players that will start and play the majority of snaps. When I think of the Vikings defensive starters I think of an effort to get the best 11 players on the field for the particular situation. I think that the “position” next to the player’s name is less important than what they can do. 

Some things that I expect to see this season from the defense:

1. Edges Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner on the field together often.

2. The Vikings often played with only one inside linebacker last season. Does Flores keep emerging Ivan Pace Jr. and key free agent addition Blake Cashman on the field together for more than clear run situations. 

3. I like fourth-round corner Khyree Jackson to emerge early as a “starter.”

4. Do the coaches monitor (reduce) Harrison Smith’s snaps? 

5. Does seventh-round, small-school defensive tackle Levi Drake Rodriguez work his way into a rotational role on the defensive front? 

I can not wait to see the Vikings defense on the field. 

Top Remaining NFL Free Agents

With the 2024 NFL Draft about a month in the past and training camp about two months away, some of the 32 teams may look to further fortify their rosters in advance of training camp. Here are some of the top remaining free agents.

1.   Stephon Gilmore, CB

2.   Justin Simmons, S

3.   Calais Campbell, DL

4.   Connor Williams, OL

5.   Adoree Jackson, CB

6.   Micah Hyde, S

7.   Emmanuel Ogbah, Edge

8.   Xavien Howard, CB 

9.   Michael Thomas, WR

10. Donovan Smith, OT

11. Akhello Witherspoon, CB

12. Hunter Renfrow, WR

13. Steven Nelson, CB

14. Ryan Tannehill, QB

15. Dalton Risner, G

16. Carl Lawson, Edge

17. D.J. Humphries, OT

18. J.C. Jackson, CB

19. Yannick Ngakoue, Edge

20. Cameron Sutton, CB

21. Eddie Jackson, S

22. Quandre Diggs, S

23. Patrick Peterson, CB

24. Charles Harris, Edge

25. Mecole Hardman, WR

26. Tyus Bowser, Edge

27. Marcus Maye, S

28. Mason Cole, C

29. Jayron Kearse, S

30. Jamal Adams, S

Intriguing safeties have been available since before free agency even started. There are still some intriguing safeties available. Nearly a quarterback of the above available free agents are safeties. Cornerbacks too. Half of the above free agents are defensive backs. 

10 Vikings To Watch

With Minnesota Vikings OTAs and mandatory minicamp on the horizon, The Athletic’s Alec Lewis recently wrote up his “10 Players to Watch.” I’ll do the same. 

First, here are the 10 Vikings that Lewis listed.

1.   Lewis Cine, S

2.   Gabriel Murphy, Edge

3.   Jerry Tillery, DT

4.   Sam Darnold, QB

5.   Jalen Nailor, WR

6.   Will Reichard, K

7.   Andrew Booth Jr., CB

8.   Jaquelin Roy, DT

9.   Levi Drake Rodriguez, DT

10. Blake Brandel, G

That’s a fine and accurate list. All are players that intrigue me. But to be honest, all 91 players currently on the roster intrigue me. 

All eyes are always on the quarterbacks. Since 2018, that’s been Kirk Cousins in Minnesota. Now, he’s in Atlanta and there’s loads of attention, local and national, on the Vikings quarterbacks. Sam Darnold was signed early in the offseason to provide a veteran presence and to start out as the starter. J.J. McCarthy was selected with the 10th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to be the quarterback of the future, and perhaps present. No one needs a list of players to watch to know that Darnold and McCarthy are players to watch. 

So, my list skips the quarterbacks. The Vikings had a number of pressing needs to fill this offseason. Other than finding a starter at left guard, nearly all of those pressing needs are on the defensive side of the ball. Through free agency and the draft, the Vikings did a good job of addressing those needs. At edge, they brought in quality and quantity. After losing Danielle Hunter and D.J. Wonnum, that group was entirely remade. Inside linebacker and cornerback were addressed. Safety didn’t need to be. When there’s a load of needs it’s difficult to address them all. The Vikings defensive line group had token, but intriguing, additions and is very much a work in progress. Defensive line is where my list starts.

1. Jaquelin Roy, DT

A fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Jaquelin Roy flashed at times last season. I’ve been guilty of expecting big things from recent mid-round defensive linemen like Armon Watts, James Lynch, and Esezi Otomewo. Roy is the next one. Harrison Phillips is a solid presence on the line. He’s really the only proven player on the defensive line. After several years as a journeyman, Jonathan Bullard emerged last year as a good rotational player. After that, it’s all question marks. I like Roy to step up and make an impact this year.

2. Jerry Tillery, DT

Jerry Tillery was once a first round pick in one of the best defensive tackle drafts in league history. That 2019 first round was loaded with DTs. Quinnen Williams, Ed Oliver, Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence, and Jeffery Simmons were his first round mates. Those five are among the best defensive tackles in the league. Each has received a giant second contract. The only defensive tackle selected in that first round that hasn’t received a giant second contract is Tillery. Originally drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers, the Vikings are his third team. His most impactful season was probably last season with the Las Vegas Raiders. With that in mind, he’s on an upward trajectory. If the Vikings coaches and environment can get Tillery to play to the talent that made him a player worthy of being a first round pick, he might be the steal of the offseason.

3. Levi Drake Rodriguez, DT

The Vikings selected Levi Drake Rodriguez in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He started his college career at Southwestern Assemblies of God University and transferred to Texas A&M-Commerce. The small school player is one of the most intriguing of the Vikings rookies. His enthusiasm and personality is infectious. He’s driven like few players I’ve ever seen. He dominated at the small school level he played but he’s competing at a whole other talent level now. With his drive, commitment, and energy, I see only two career outcomes for him. He either doesn’t have the talent for this level or he’s a big-time surprise. If it’s the former, we’ll see it pretty early. If it’s the latter, we’re all in for a treat. 

4. Khyree Jackson, CB

After selecting hopeful franchise-changers in the first round with J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner, the Vikings didn’t pick again until the start of the third day. That pick was Oregon corner Khyree Jackson. At a ridiculous 6’4”, he’s already the biggest cornerback in the league. He also has the smooth movements of a much smaller player. He was available in the fourth round because of a circuitous college career that took from a junior college to a deli counter to another junior college to Alabama and finally to Oregon. His biggest mark was made in that final year at Oregon. If he’d played even two years at one place like he played last year, he might’ve contended with one-time teammates Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry for selection in the first or second round. Instead, the Vikings grabbed a steal in the fourth round. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jackson is on the field regularly when three corners are on the field.

5. Blake Brandel, G

The one position up for grabs on offense is left guard. Blake Brandel will get the first opportunity to make that position his. 

6. Jalen Nailor, WR

The Vikings receiver group is strong at the top with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. K.J. Osborn has been the team’s #3 since 2021. He’s in New England now. Brandon Powell might be penciled in as the #3 right now. Through offseason workouts last year, Jalen Nailor was looking like a breakout candidate. Then, he suffered a leg injury on the first day of training camp. He didn’t return to the field until Week 10. Just as he was shaking off the rust, a concussion sidelined him for the rest of the season. If he can stay on the field, I like Nailor as the Vikings #3 receiver.

7. Andrew Van Ginkel, Edge

Last year, defensive coordinator Brian Flores did wonders with a modestly talented group. That group has been supplemented with talent this year. That talent was also added with this defense in mind. I can not wait to see what Flores has in mind. I can not wait to see the role that the extremely versatile Andrew Van Ginkel has in it. Rush, run, cover. Few defenders in the league can do all three to his level. 

8. Dallas Turner, Edge

I didn’t want to pick the quarterbacks or a first round pick for this list. I can’t help myself with Dallas Turner. I have to include the player that I felt the Vikings really had no shot at being in position to select. He was supposed to be a top-10 pick in the draft. If the Vikings were to get the quarterback that they absolutely had to get, there was no way that they’d be able to get Turner as well. No way. Somehow. J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner are in Minnesota. All of the versatility and physical attributes that has me excited about Van Ginkel has me excited abut Turner. Van Ginkel has intriguing talent. Turner has absolutely ridiculous talent. I can’t recall the Vikings ever selecting in the draft a defensive player as freakishly gifted. They’ve selected freaky offensive players like Randy Moss, Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin, and Justin Jefferson. Never a defensive player. Chris Doleman and Joey Browner come close. Turner ran a 4.46 and jumped over 40” at the combine. Those are numbers usually associated with unique receivers, corners, and running backs. Few edge rushers do such things. I can’t wait to see Flores send Dallas Turner after opposing offenses. 

9. Will Reichard, K

The Vikings must put an end to the kicking woes that have plagued this franchise for decades. As a result, the spotlight is on the kicker selected in the sixth round. A question about Will Reichard is whether he can hit from 60. If he doesn’t miss any extra points or anything from inside 53 yards, I really don’t care if his reach ends inside of 60 yards. 

10. Harrison Smith, S

I’m just thrilled that he’s back for his 13th season. I’m going to enjoy every moment that he’s in a Vikings uniform.