3 Takeaways from PFF’s Depth Chart Projection for Vikings
A while back, Pro Football Focus projected depth charts for each NFL team, an interesting task pertaining to the Minnesota Vikings as the franchise has oodles of new defensive pieces.
The Vikings seek to vastly improve from a 2020 season that capped in a 7-9 finish, far below playoff expectations that the team annually saddles themselves. This projection by PFF was formulated before the free-agent additions of Bashaud Breeland and Sheldon Richardson, so take it with a grain of salt.
Nothing too egreiously rocks the boat from a logical perspective, but here are three takeaways from PFF’s predicitions.
Wyatt Davis Actually Starts
After Danielle Hunter and the Vikings front office settled their contractual business a few weeks ago, a pivot to new summer storylines makes the will-he-or-won’t-we on Davis’ 2021 starting role the most tantalizing for speculation.
The Vikings used the 2021 NFL Draft to welcome Christian Darrisaw and Wyatt Davis — the two final components to an organically-grown offensive line. Every year amid the last four drafts, general manager Rick Spielman added 2nd-Round-or-higher offensive linemen. Davis is the lone exception, plucked from the 3rd Round after a Spielman trade in the draft’s 1st Round.
It is unknown in July if Davis will start in September. Most Vikings brains crave it. Why? Because the alternative is probably Dakota Dozier — who struggled profusely in 2020. If not Dozier (or Davis), the gig would probably be assigned to Mason Cole, who the Vikings acquired from the Arizona Cardinals with a 6th-Round pick in March.
A Dozier RG gig would be met with a collective groan, simply because his performance was bad-bad in 2020. Even if Davis struggled out of the gate — he’s a rookie with a high upside, and growing pains can be stomached easier than a Dozier redux of ineptitude.
All in all, PFF picks Davis at right guard, inducing smiles from Vikings fans.
Dantzler Starts Opposite Patrick Peterson
This projection was authored before Bashaud Breeland joined the team, so it is more than understandable that Cameron Dantzler would be assigned starting cornerback duty.
But now that is cast into doubt as Breeland is a career starter, inclined to balk at the idea of a depth-only job. Breeland started in Washington, Green Bay, and Kansas City (he won a Super Bowl there). His plan is to start for the Minnesota Vikings — you can take that to the bank.
Dantzler was marvelous during the second half of the 2020 season, establishing huge expectations for growth in 2021. The Breeland move, though, should foreshadow of splitting of defensive snaps between the two. And that’s fine. Last year, Vikings fans bemoaned the lack of depth everywhere on defense; this is an exciting problem to solve.
The CB room will get even more crowded — in a good way for depth — if Jeff Gladney somehow returns to the team after his legal situation is sorted out in Texas. But that is a gigantic question mark.
Breeland v. Dantzler should be perceived as the most interesting training camp battle — bar none.
Bisi Johnson Reemerges at WR3
PFF‘s depth chart point-blank places Johnson as WR3, ignoring the mini-takeover of the spot by Chad Beebe in 2020. Of course, Beebe does not have a stranglehold on the job, but he did receive 30 targets from quarterback Kirk Cousins last season. That total is puny by traditional NFL standards — not for the Vikings. Under Zimmer, the franchise largely undervalues WR3s, instead focusing on passes to halfback Dalvin Cook and two tight ends like Irv Smith Jr. and Kyle Rudolph before he left the team.
Johnson was targeted 19 times during 2020, 11 less than Beebe. His impact was a modest regression from 2019 when he experienced 45 targets.
The Vikings have cap space (about $14 million) to sign a tried-and-true WR3 like Dede Westbrook, Larry Fitzgerald, or Golden Tate. If they do not, the WR3 battle will include Beebe, Johnson, and rookie Ihmir Smith-Marsette.
PFF prognosticates Johnson as the frontrunner of that threesome.