6 Vikings Make the Cut for CBS Sports’ Top 100 Players of 2021
Dustin Baker
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Annually, CBS Sports releases rankings of the NFL Top 100 players heading into the upcoming season. This year, it was written by Pete Prisco, topping the list with Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Donald, and Aaron Rodgers. In July, NFL Network will drop a Top 100 list voted by current players.
Heading into 2021, six Minnesota Vikings players made the cut. Notably, Eric Kendricks was snubbed — yes, the All-Pro Kendricks was not ranked inside these rankings. The UCLA alumnus missed a few games down the stretch in 2020, disabling his involvement in the Vikings mini-push for the playoffs. That push ended miserably as the Vikings could not take care of business against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, or Chicago Bears. Winning any of those games would have allowed entry into the playoffs for head coach Mike Zimmer’s bunch.
Here’s who wiggled into the Top 100 for Minnesota.
#19 – Dalvin Cook
The Vikings tailback is evidently perceived as the team’s best player by national eyes. Cook ground up 1,918 yards from scrimmage with a colossal 17 touchdowns in 2020, the best season of his career to date. He also stayed relatively healthy, which is the only knock to his reputation. Cook missed almost half of all games during his first two seasons.
To reasonable folks, Cook is widely considered the second-best tailback in the NFL to Derrick Henry. The Titans running back ranked #11 inside the CBS rankings.
#45 – Justin Jefferson
The record-holder of most receiving yards in NFL history by a rookie, Jefferson checks in at #45. Minnesota didn’t utilize Jefferson much in Week 1 and 2 of 2020. But once they realized that he was “ready,” Jefferson exploded. The memory of Stefon Diggs — who was traded to the Buffalo Bills in 2020 — was doused by the breakout performance from Jefferson.
Now, Jefferson must ensure that he doesn’t experience a proverbial sophomore slump. Those are real.
#75 – Danielle Hunter
Hunter was double-afflicted by his 2020 neck injury. The obvious part — he didn’t play any football during the pandemic season. And then temporarily, he left people’s memory banks a bit. Hunter would assuredly place higher in this Top 100 had he not missed all of 2020.
From 2015 to 2019 — his first five NFL seasons, Hunter accrued the sixth-most sacks in the NFL, just behind Von Miller.
#77 – Harrison Smith
The old warhorse still gets his respect.
If Smith is beginning a performance-related decline, it is incredibly subtle. He was one of the only pieces in 2020 that prevented the Vikings from a historically bad campaign on defense. Well, the defense was pretty bad even with Smith manning it — but one shudders to think about the 2020 product without the veteran safety. Probably 32nd in the NFL for points allowed instead of the slimy 29th slot.
Since joining the Vikings in 2012, Smith has registered the second-most interceptions leaguewide among all safeties.
#93 – Kirk Cousins
Don’t look now, but CBS Sports plopped Cousins one spot ahead of Kyler Murray — which will irritate several readers. As for the numbers, Cousins excels year in and year out. He’s a steady passer of the football that tallies 4,000 passing yards and 30+ touchdown passes per season with alarm clock-like consistency.
Not everybody loves him — and that’s probably why the chants for Kellen Mond will amplify with any Cousins mistake in 2021.
But, hey, outsiders feel he is worthy of the Top 100.
#97 – Adam Thielen
Thielen was “overshadowed” a bit by the ascension of Justin Jefferson to stardom, and that is just fine. The Minnesota State folklore product tabulated 14 receiving touchdowns during the pandemic season, otherwise known as third-most leaguewide.
His best assets are his hands and route-running, so Thielen should be immune to an age-related drop-off any time soon. Those two traits enable WRs to play in the league significantly longer than the “flashy” WR types.