6 Vikings Who Could Reach Pro Bowl for First Time
The Minnesota Vikings sent three players to the Pro Bowl in 2023, a slowdown from seven in 2022.
The club hopes to send more in 2024, and several have a puncher’s chance at the nod this season.
6 Vikings Who Could Reach Pro Bowl for First Time
These are those men in alphabetical order.
1. Jordan Addison (WR)
Some expect a sophomore slump from Addison, mainly because his stats plunged when Kirk Cousins left the starting lineup last year. Yet, there’s a decent chance that Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy play well this season, and Addison is the unabashed WR2.
If Addison can build on his impressive rookie campaign — slap the sophomore slump stuff in the face — he could fetch Pro Bowl kudos with a 1.200+ yard season or so.
2 & 3. Camryn Bynum (S) — or — Josh Metellus (S)
Both men nibbled at Pro Bowl chatter in 2023 but fell short during the selection process. Bynum performed wonderfully for the season’s first three months before slowing down a bit in December. And Metellus is as versatile as hell.
It’s unlikely that Bynum and Metellus will snatch Pro Bowl honors, but one could solidify his status as a budding star and find the votes.
4. Christian Darrisaw (LT)
Christian Darrisaw is evidently one more year from receiving leaguewide respect. He’s already accepted as one of the game’s top left tackles, but Pro Bowl voters curiously snubbed his 2022 and 2023 candidacy. The cornerstone left tackle missed two games last year, apparently a blow to one’s Pro Bowl aspirations.
If Darrisaw continues his upper-echelon production in 2024 — he probably will — it’ll be a crime if he fails to, alas, snag Pro Bowl kudos. The man already deserves them.
5. Jonathan Greenard (OLB)
Greenard agreed to a four-year deal worth $76 million, meaning the veteran defender will become part of the defense’s fiber for almost the next half-decade. He played 62% of all Texans defensive snaps in 2023, notching an impressive 12.5 sacks and 22 QB hits. He’s three years younger than Hunter and, at $19 million per season, offers incredible value. Here’s Greenard’s Pro Football Focus resume to date:
- 2023: 78.2
- 2022: 63.4
- 2021: 82.9
- 2020: 51.9
The man needs roughly one more year of sustained production to sniff Pro Bowl nomination.
6. Ivan Pace Jr. (LB)
Pace Jr. blasted onto the scene in 2023, fulfilling all undrafted hype and summer forecasts suggesting he could be the real deal. He even led the team as a defensive captain during Jordan Hicks’ injury absence.
Now, he has to do it again.
Sophomore slumps occur, and Pace Jr. must avoid one. If he does, he can begin scratching the surface of Pro Bowl consideration. PFF labeled him the NFL’s 16th-best off-ball linebacker in 2023. Not bad for a rookie.
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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.