The Minnesota Vikings are set to take on the Detroit Lions in the second annual winter whiteout on Christmas Eve in week 16.
During the Vikings 7-7 campaign, they have dealt with a myriad of injuries and struggles throughout the year. From losing star wide receiver Justin Jefferson to starting four quarterbacks due to injuries and poor play, it’s been an excellent coaching job from both Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores.
They still face an uphill battle if they want to win the NFC North. Just one Vikings loss or Lions win will give Detroit their first division title since 1993 when it was the NFC North.
In the spirit of Christmas, our staff identified one thing that they would like Santa Claus to bring the Vikings.
Manging editor Tyler Forness: Day 2 WR in 2024 NFL draft
The Vikings addressed the wide receiver position in a big way by drafting Jordan Addison in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft. He has nearly 1,000 yards receiving and nine touchdowns so far on the year. The question does beckon though: Why draft another one highly?
Well, day two doesn’t necessarily mean pick 35 or even in the second round. What this draft does have is a wealth of talent at the position on day two and early day three. Guys like Jamari Thrash, Ricky Pearsall, Malachi Corley and Jacob Cowing just to name a few are players the Vikings could target and impact the offense.
The Vikings are likely to lose K.J. Osborn this offseason and Brandon Powell is also a free agent. Pair that with the lack of development and injury history of Jalen Nailor and it becomes a sneaky need. Having two of your top three wide receivers on rookie deals with the prospect of paying both Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson is smart roster construction.
Columnist Judd Zulgad: Clarity at QB
This one is easy. Clarity at the quarterback position. Kirk Cousins’ contract expires in March but there is a chance he will return next season after rehabbing a torn Achilles’ suffered in late October. Cousins, however, will turn 36 before next season, so he isn’t the long-term solution. If Cousins isn’t back, the Vikings will either need to draft a quarterback in the first or second round or be confident that 2023 fifth-round pick Jaren Hall will be the answer. Cousins provided stability when it came to who would be the Vikings starter from his arrival in 2018 until he was injured against the Packers, but O’Connell was hired in large part to find Cousins’ replacement and that replacement will go a long way toward determining O’Connell’s future in Minnesota.
Columnist Saivion Mixson: Another year of Brian Flores
Seeing what Flores has done with this Vikings defense has been remarkable. Taking a unit that was a liability and turning it into a unit that has kept them competitive in every game this season despite some of the uncertainty on the offensive side of the ball. Looking at the numbers, both advanced and otherwise, this is a top-ten defense. Minnesota is seventh in EPA/play allowed, ninth in defensive success rate, seventh in points allowed, fourth in rushing yards allowed per attempt, tenth in rushing EPA allowed per play, ninth in EPA allowed per dropback, etc.
Flores has done more than enough to get head coaching looks in the upcoming off-season, but if Santa loves Minnesota, he will give the Vikings one more year. The question of what could have been looms large with the loss of Kirk Cousins, but Flores’ impact on the defense and the entire team has lived up to and, in some ways, exceeded the preseason hype.
Columnist Chris Spooner: Another high quality edge
The saving grace for the Minnesota Vikings this season has been the defense. Brian Flores has done some incredible things with the tools he has at his disposal. Josh Metellus has had a career year as a chess piece in the scheme Flores has implemented. The Vikings are at or near the top of the league in both blitz rate and rate of dropping eight into coverage.
A lot of that scheme versatility comes because of what the Vikings are able to do up front rushing the quarterback. That is largely thanks to the impact that Danielle Hunter has. What I would love for the Vikings is to have another high-quality edge opposite Hunter – or at the very least to have the uncertainty around Hunter settled.
Hunter will be looking for a new contract next year, and he’s going to get it somewhere. Whether that’s the Vikings paying the price he’s going to command or it’s someone else remains to be seen, but we can’t deny his performance has made him some money this off-season. Keeping Hunter in-house should be a top goal for Minnesota, and getting someone who can be just as much a force opposite him would take this defense to the next level.
There are several avenues by which one could come. Marcus Davenport can be that guy – if he can stay healthy. D.J. Wonnum could potentially be that guy if he continues to develop. The Vikings should be in a good position in the NFL Draft to bring in a young rookie to fill that role. Pass-rush gems can be found in free agency, too.
