4 Vikings Players Who Deserve the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl voting is underway, and the Minnesota Vikings have seven players in the Top 10 by position.
The Pro Bowl is scheduled for February 4th, 2024, in Orlando at Camping World Stadium.
4 Vikings Players Who Deserve the Pro Bowl
And while folks will debate which Vikings players deserve the nod, these four men are close to non-debatable. They’re listed in alphabetical order.
1. Christian Darrisaw (LT)
Among all offensive tackles in the NFL, Darrisaw ranks third per performance via Pro Football Focus‘ grading system. He’s habitually a Top 3 OT, but the league hasn’t realized it yet, at least not according to Pro Bowl voting.
Only Penei Sewell of the Detroit Lions and Tyron Smith from the Dallas Cowboys outgrade Darrisaw through 13 weeks.
Oddly, Darrisaw hasn’t even placed in the Top 10 of fan voting as of December 7th. The NFL community refuses to recognize Darrisaw as a Pro Bowl offensive lineman, and it’s getting a little weird. The man anchors the left side of the Vikings’ offensive line and must receive Pro Bowl kudos before too long. He just has to.
2. Andrew DePaola (LS)
Long snapper stats aren’t really a thing, sadly enough. Reputationally, though, DePaola is renowned as one of the sport’s best, and 2023 is no different.
The Vikings’ oldest player earned First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in 2022, and unless something strange happens, he’ll garner one or both honors again.
PFF doesn’t even hand out grades to long snappers; it’s just well-known that DePaola is currently goatish at his craft.
3. T.J. Hockenson (TE)
Hockenson is on pace for 113 receptions, 1,114 yards, and 7 touchdowns in 2023. That’ll do it for a Pro Bowl trip.
The man has also helped keep the Vikings’ season afloat after Justin Jefferson fell injured in October, becoming quarterback Joshua Dobbs’ security blanket in the middle of the field. Some drops and failed contested catches plagued Hockenson to start the season, but his performance from the last two months is more than Pro Bowl worthy.
The man who looks like an actual Viking is a lock for the Pro Bowl, and it will be his third.
4. Danielle Hunter (OLB)
Hunter leads the business in tackles for loss (18) and is third in sacks (13.5). Not every EDGE rusher can do both, relentlessly pursue quarterbacks while stopping running backs cold in the backfield.
With injuries derailing Justin Jefferson and Kirk Cousins this season, Hunter has served as the club’s best player and astonishingly doesn’t fire up bad games.
He’s a free agent in March, and when contract talks heat up, Hunter will describe himself as a four-time Pro Bowler. Book it.
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 Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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