A Few Vikings Make ‘Top 100’ List from Pete Prisco

Madden 23 Unveils Full Minnesota Vikings Ratings
Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.

Aaron Donald is the undisputed best player in the NFL, and the Minnesota Vikings have three men in the Top 100, according to CBS Sports‘ Pete Prisco, who released his Top 100 players of 2022 on Tuesday.

Foremost, the highest Viking on the list was, unsurprisingly, Justin Jefferson, whose ascent to superstardom in the NFL only took a couple of months. Prisco plopped the Vikings wideout at #13, mentioning, “It’s scary to think what type of leap he can make this season as he better understands the position.”

Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports

Notably, Prisco surmised Jefferson is a better football player than Tyreek Hill, Ja’Marr Chase, and George Kittle.

After that, some 28 rungs down the latter arrived Dalvin Cook, the Vikings RB1, at #41. Cook enters Year 6 of his productive career, hoping to showcase a new pass-catching flair inside Minnesota’s shiny new offense led by Kevin O’Connell. Prisco opined on Cook, “He also caught 34 passes, and that number should go up this season as the Vikings might use him more in the passing game — even outside.”

Two down — one to go. Rounding out the Vikings nods on Prisco’s Top 100 was Harrison Smith, the team’s longstanding safety and anchor of Mike Zimmer’s defense for eight seasons. Smith checked in at #99 with the commentary, “The veteran safety is coming to the end of his career, but he put the talk that it’s over to rest last season with another impressive year, even on a bad defense.”

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

So, that’s the group, per CBS Sports Jefferson (#13), Cook (#41), and Smith (#99).

Also, finishing his assessment, Prisco honorably mentioned the quarterback Kirk Cousins and EDGE rusher Danielle Hunter.

For those interested in the “snub” category, the following men were not accounted for at all by Prisco:

  • Eric Kendricks
  • Brian O’Neill
  • Za’Darius Smith
  • Adam Thielen

The version of this list voted on by players should hit the news wire from NFL Network in August.


Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).

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