5 Key Issues for the 2024 Vikings
Training camp is upon us, and things will start to ramp up as we head to the preseason and then the Minnesota Vikings’ first game of the 2024 season — a road game against the New York Giants.
As we head in that direction, it is time to look at reasons for concern and optimism for the 2024 iteration of the Minnesota Vikings.
5 Key Issues for the 2024 Vikings
The Vikings are at a fork in the road moment. There has been plenty of change since GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and HC Kevin O’Connell took over the reins in Minnesota. However, only when the change at quarterback came was the outside view going to shift to one of a team in transition. That is now upon us, and change brings with it both optimism and concern. We start with the latter and look at five reasons for Vikings fans to be concerned heading into 2024.
1. The Interior Defensive Line
The iDL was a serious weakness last season.
Harrison Phillips did his best to be the base of a stout run defense, while the pass rush from the middle was almost nonexistent. I expected it to be a main area of focus for the Vikings this offseason, whether it was a case of not being able to get their first choices or prioritizing other areas of the team. The Vikings have only added to the iDL ranks by signing cheap free agents Jerry Tillery and Jonah Williams and drafting Levi Drake Rodriguez in the seventh round. Minnesota also re-signed Jonathan Bullard and James Lynch.
Unless Rodriguez or Jaquelin Roy make big strides this year or the Vikings manage to untap the potential that saw Tillery drafted in the first round back in 2019, it looks like the Vikings will struggle again in the trenches. Brian Flores needs to get exotic in his play calls to prevent his defense from being dominated.
2. Over-Reliance on Justin Jefferson
Before the Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy in the first round back in April, Minnesota was talked about a lot as a great landing spot for a rookie QB.
Part of the reason is the array of weapons a young QB would have at their disposal in the Vikings’ offense. Fast forward to July, and the Vikings’ arsenal of weapons doesn’t look so certain. Justin Jefferson signed his contract extension, and the Vikings can call upon the best WR in the league. After that, it’s starting to look a bit more shaky.
There is still no timeline for T.J. Hockenson’s return. He will start training camp on the PUP list, and we can expect him to miss several games — it’s just a case of how many. Jordan Addison was arrested for a DUI, the second driving infraction since he became a Viking. Some sort of suspension seems probable. That’s the Vikings’ two other main pass catchers possibly out for the start of the season.
The Vikings are relying on Aaron Jones to jump-start a run game that was terrible last season. While the former Packer is talented, he turns 30 during the season, and his recent injury record is cause for concern. Add in the fact that the Vikings haven’t adequately replaced K.J. Osborn, and suddenly, there’s a lot of weight being dumped on Jefferson’s shoulders to carry this offense.
3. Cornerback
As the emphasis on the passing game increased across the NFL, teams have poured resources into the CB position. The Vikings have spent many high draft picks on the position in recent years, but they are left with a weak group at the position through bad luck and bad selections. Byron Murphy — a free-agent addition from last year — is the best of the bunch, but he’s a slot corner who’s transitioned to play outside. While he does an ok job out there, he is not, nor is he ever likely to be, a genuine lockdown outside CB.
After Muphy, the Vikings have a new singing Shaq Griffin, who adds a veteran presence to the group, with the rest of the group being younger players. Akayleb Evans struggled with the ascension to starting CB last season, while Mekhi Blackmon showed some promise in his rookie season. Andrew Booth has had a very disappointing first two seasons in the league and appears well down the depth chart. One player to look out for is undrafted rookie Dwight McGlothern. And Minnesota signed Duke Shelley on Tuesday.
4. Interior Offensive Line
The Vikings iOL has been a cause for concern going into the new season for about as long as anyone can remember. Another area of the team I had hoped the Vikings would make significant improvements will only do so by improvement from last year’s players. Minnesota waited to make a move for Dalton Risner. Eventually, it did so, and he joined the trio of Garrett Bradbury, Ed Ingram, and Blake Brandel to make it the same quartet, vying for three spots that ended last season.
The new faces in town include two players who will be vying for the backup center role: veteran Dan Feeney and seventh-round rookie Michael Jurgens. The rookie is my pick as the player who surprises everybody in training camp and earns the backup role behind Bradbury. Tyrese Robinson, Henry Byrd, and Jeremey Flax will compete to be backup guards. The chance of the unit being significantly better than last year is small and mostly relies on significant improvement from Ingram.
5. Special Teams
Greg Joseph’s inconsistent three-year tenure as the Vikings placekicker has ended.
Minnesota has brought two kickers in the search for more consistency. John Parker Romo was signed after a stint in the XFL, and then Will Reichard was drafted in the sixth round. With draft capital invested in him, Reichard will most likely win the job. Either way, neither of the young kickers offers a known commodity at the professional level.
Ryan Wright enjoyed a promising rookie season in 2022, but there was a significant slump last season. Seth Vernon has been signed as a competition, but the 25-year-old’s NFL experience is one preseason game with Atlanta. There have to be question marks over the Vikings’ kicking and punting. If Reichard can bring his college form that saw him worthy of being taken as a draft pick, and Wright can rediscover his 2022 form, then those concerns can quickly be alleviated.
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