4 Burning Questions Remaining for the Vikings Offseason
Dustin Baker
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Some 11 weeks of the Minnesota Vikings’ offseason are in the rearview, with free agency winding down and the 2024 NFL Draft 33 days away.
4 Burning Questions Remaining for the Vikings Offseason
The club has onboarded new free agents, re-signed internal players, and even delivered a blockbuster trade last week in preparation for the draft, which will feel like a grand climax.
But a handful of questions remain. And these are those ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = most burning question afoot for the Vikings offseason).
4. Who’s the WR3?
K.J. Osborn no longer works for the Vikings — he’s a New England Patriot — meaning a new man will take over WR3 responsibilities in September. Of course, the summer will clarify the next WR3’s identity, but if the season started tonight, Brandon Powell, Trent Sherfield, or Jalen Nailor would get the nod.
Many decent free-agent options remain in the NFL’s marketplace, like Tyler Boyd or D.J. Chark. There’s also the NFL Draft, and this year’s event has plenty of WR3 types available in mid-to-late rounds.
Yet, as of March 23rd, nobody knows for sure who will hold down WR3 duties for the purple team this fall.
3. Is This It for CBs?
These are the Vikings cornerbacks as of March 22nd:
- CB1: Byron Murphy
- CB2: Akayleb Evans
- CB3: Mekhi Blackmon
- CB4: Andrew Booth
- CB5: Shaquill Griffin
- CB6: NaJee Thompson
- CB7: Jaylin Williams
- CB8: Joejuan Williams
- CB9: A.J. Green III
All hope of L’Jarius Sneed to the Vikings died on Friday night when the Tennessee Titans won the trade sweepstakes. Such is life.
Don’t look now, but this might be “it” for the Vikings’ cornerback room heading into 2024. And if it’s not, who else would join?
2. Who’s the Starting Left Guard?
Dalton Risner held down left guard duties in 2023 for about half the season. He was a treasure among Vikings fans.
But it doesn’t seem he’ll be back for a sequel. KFAN’s Paul Allen asked general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah about the chances of Risner returning in purple this week, and the young executive replied, “Where we’ve wanted to be is best available. That’s where we’ve tried to set ourselves up both in a draft and acquisition standpoint. So every option is on the table. That’s all I can say about that.”
And that would probably indicate Blake Brandel as the next man up. Brandel re-signed with the Vikings for three years and $9.5 million this offseason. In the next several months — or at least through the end of the draft — folks will wonder if Brandel, a rookie, or a Risner reappearance will claim LG duty.
1. Which QB Is Chosen in Round 1?
The granddaddy of them all for Vikings football. No debates, none whatsoever.
Kirk Cousins vamoosed down south for $180 million, and Minnesota will soon draft a quarterback for about 25% of the price (at least for the next 4-5 years). In all likelihood, it’ll be one of these men (ranked in order of current Vegas odds) —
- J.J. McCarthy
- Drake Maye
- Michael Penix Jr.
- Bo Nix
- Jayden Daniels
- Caleb Williams
The only thing that matters about Vikings football in the foreseeable future is that the front office gets this draft pick right. So, with no further adieu, this is the most burning Vikings offseason question: which quarterback do they choose?
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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