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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Tyler Forness

3 Vikings earn Associated Press All-Pro honors in 2022

After waiting throughout the week for the Associated Press to drop their All-Pro teams, they finally did on Friday morning.

After seeing the NFLPA and PFF drop their All-Pro teams, the prestigious AP All-Pro team is the one that everyone wants to be on.

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As you can imagine, there is a lot of crossover with all three lists, including multiple consensus choices, including Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes being the first-team quarterback on all three lists.

The Minnesota Vikings had three players earn AP All-Pro honors in 2022.

Justin Jefferson-1st team wide receiver

Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

An argument can be made that Jefferson was the best player in the National Football League this season. Jefferson was incredible all season coming close to winning the receiving triple crown as he led the league in receptions with 128 and yards with 1,804. Jefferson was joined on the first team by Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams. He was also one of two players that was voted first team on all 50 ballots with Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce being the other.

Andrew DePaola-1st team long snapper

Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

A position like long snapper is one that is tough to judge, but Pro Football Focus does that for us and they ranked DePaola as their top long snapper. All season, the Vikings haven’t had any issues with their special teams all season.

Kene Nwangwu-2nd team kick returner

AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn

Nwangwu is one of the best kick returners in the National Football League and was that again this season. Across 35 returns, Nwangwu averaged 26.3 yards per return and earned the third return touchdown of his career. His placement behind on Keisean Nixon of the Green Bay Packers is fine, especially since Nixon had a tremendous second half of the season.

Vikings snubbed

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

On the two teams, there were two players on the Vikings that were genuinely snubbed.

Christian Darrisaw was the second-ranked tackle overall per Pro Football Focus this season behind only San Francisco’s Trent Williams and he played in a similar way to Williams. Andrew Thomas of the New York Giants was great, but Darrisaw was better.

Cornerback Patrick Peterson also was a snub. He was PFF’s fourth-ranked cornerback in coverage this season and tied for second in interceptions with five.

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