Questions Answered: Vikings Breakout Player, Top Remaining Order of Business, Worst Decision
The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by VikingsTerritory. Today is the May 6th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Questions Answered: Vikings Breakout Player, Top Remaining Order of Business, Worst Decision
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.
Q: Who’s a player we can all expect to break out in 2024? Need a name.
Answer: Mekhi Blackmon.
The young cornerback produced a 71.8 Pro Football Focus grade as a rookie, and for some reason, fans aren’t absolutely thrilled by him. They’re kind of assuming he’s just another combatant in a deep cornerback room.
But for a rookie — or anybody, really — 71.8 is quite impressive, and in fact, that ranked 32nd in the NFL among all cornerbacks. Fans should be genuinely excited by Blackmon’s development; 2023 was only the beginning.
He was also responsible for an 81.8 passer rating against, which is quite good. Tell everyone you know that Blackmon is a solid defender who will break out during his second act.
Q: Aside from Justin Jefferson’s contract, what’s the Vikings next or most pressing order of business?
Answer: Signing a WR3.
Minnesota could sign Hunter Renfrow or Tyler Boyd, for example, today and get richer in the WR room. Usually, tight end T.J. Hcokenson can be labeled as the club’s pseudo-WR3 because of his massive target share, but he probably won’t be available to start 2024 because of a knee injury.
We’d also recommend that Minnesota sign defensive tackle Calais Campbell but aren’t confined they’ll actually do that. So, let’s stick with adding a proven WR3 to contend with Brandon Powell, Jalen Nailor, and Trent Sherfield this summer.
Q: What’s the Vikings’ worst offseason decision so far?
A: Not nabbing a big-name defensive tackle from free agency or the draft.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could’ve signed Arik Armstead, Grover Stewart, Leonard Williams, or D.J. Reader — or spent the big bucks on Christian Wilkins. This year’s free-agent class was loaded with DT talent. Next year’s is not.
Then, because of a run on DTs in Round 2 of the draft, the Vikings had hardly any options by the time Round 4 rolled around.
Accordingly, for about the 10th consecutive season, the purple team will head into a season with an underwhelming three-technique DT solution.
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 MIN 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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