5 Vikings Breakout Candidates to Watch in 2023
The season is less than three months away. Minnesota opens the campaign with a home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 10. Almost half of the starters are new compared to last season. The defense, especially, will look a lot different. Because of those changes, some Vikings players have a chance to be real breakout candidates.
5 Vikings Breakout Candidates
This article will not feature players with household names widely expected to play major roles in 2023, like K.J. Osborn, Alexander Mattison, and Brian Asamoah, or highly touted star rookies like Jordan Addison. The objective is to find players without much NFL experience who will surprise Vikings fans in training camp and beyond – the listed players are not in order.
1. Akayleb Evans
The 2022 rookie Akayleb Evans started two games last season in a suspect CB room. He ended up playing 162 snaps on defense and produced 23 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and two passes defended. Evans would’ve had more opportunities, but two concussions in the regular season ended his campaign prematurely.
Someone must step up after four cornerbacks who started games in 2022 left the organization. Evans was in front of fellow rookie Andrew Booth last season and is taking reps with the first-team defense. He should be considered the front-runner for the CB2 job in Brian Flores’ defense.
2. Jalen Nailor
Another player from the 2022 draft, Jalen Nailor doesn’t have a clear way to the starting lineup like Evans. The Vikings selected Jordan Addison in the first round in 2023, and K.J. Osborn and Justin Jefferson aren’t going anywhere. Regardless, Nailor continues to make plays for the Vikings in the offseason.
Nailor had a breakout game against the Packers in Week 17, a game in which most players stunk, but he still balled out. He recorded 9 catches for 179 yards and 1 TD in his debut season. ‘Speedy’ Nailor will be a popular name in the next three months among fans of the purple team.
3. Jaquelin Roy
Roy is a rookie fifth-round pick, and those usually take a while until they crack the rotation, let alone the starting unit. Roy might be different, as he is already running with the first team at times in mandatory minicamp. The defensive line group is one of the team’s weaknesses after the departure of Dalvin Tomlinson, and Roy could claim a starting spot.
He wouldn’t be the first successful Vikings rookie out of LSU. Roy has the power and the explosiveness to make an impact in Week 1 and beyond next to Harrison Phillips and Khyiris Tonga on the defensive line.
4. Josh Metellus
The safety had three starts in place of Harrison Smith in 2022 and played well when given a chance. A significant part of Flores’ defense is versatility, where Metellus excels. He can line up anywhere in the secondary and at linebacker and find ways to be on the field. The safety recently claimed that he is learning the whole defense in case the team wants him to play different roles.
Metellus was praised by his GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as the unsung hero of the Vikings and could challenge Camryn Bynum and Lewis Cine in the competition for the starting safety gig, but even if he continues to be a backup, he will have a role on defense in addition to his strong special teams play.
5. Josh Oliver
The free agent addition wasn’t cheap, as he signed a $21 million contract for three seasons. Most folks still expect him to be mainly a blocking tight end, but he has the athleticism and the skillset to add value as a pass catcher. He just wasn’t used that way in Baltimore. Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips already raved about his abilities.
Oliver has a phenomenal frame, the power to even block edge rushers, and he runs a sub 4.6 40-yard dash. The addition could indicate a change towards more sets with two tight ends and a bigger focus on the run game. He will also help T.J. Hockenson, who can now focus more on his job as a receiver.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and Classic rock is his music genre of choice. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
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