There is nothing that spurs a conversation into overdrive like a computer’s season prediction. We got rid of the BCS in college football, and since then, we have seen so many different projection methods and forms of analysis pop up in its place.
The latest is ESPN’s FPI.
The football power index predicts an NFL team’s winning percentage of games on its schedule. Seth Walder of ESPN published the results this week, which were unfavorable to the Vikings.
“The result? A paltry four-win season. But with the losing came hope in the form of the No. 1 overall pick. With their quarterback already in hand — J.J. McCarthy is the QB of the future here, despite his right meniscus tear — the Vikings enter the offseason in position to deal the No. 1 pick to a QB-needy team for a series of selections that will bolster the roster for an immediate turnaround. The present is bleak in Minnesota, but the future is bright.”
That’s right, folks. The Vikings are predicted to have the worst record in the NFL and earn the top pick in the NFL draft.
As Walder mentions here, that actually is a good thing for the Vikings in the long term. They can trade the first pick overall for a king ransom and recover picks in the 2025 NFL Draft while also getting some for 2026 and potentially even 2027.
This roster is not built to win right now without J.J. McCarthy. They have the right players locked up long-term, and they can build around McCarthy for a strong 2026. If this happens, it won’t be very nice but there may finally be light on the other side.
