OLB Andrew Van Ginkel makes it official and becomes a Minnesota Viking on March 15th, 2024, in Eagan, Minnesota. Van Ginkel spent the 2019-2022 seasons with the Miami Dolphins and joined Minnesota via free agency in 2024. He grew up cheering for the Vikings.
The 2024 Minnesota Vikings begin the regular season in 17 days, a meeting with the New York Giants in New Jersey.
The franchise isn’t expected to do much in 2024, predicted to finish in last place inside the NFC North while accompanied by around six or seven seven wins, according to oddsmakers.
And in an attempt to gnaw at a fringe playoff berth, the Vikings will need significant output from their top players. Therefore, these are the 12 best Vikings players on the current roster ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = best player).
Gilmore wasn’t just a “depth signing” earlier this week — the guy played phenomenally in Dallas last year.
He played 1,002 defensive snaps for the Cowboys in 2023 — basically all of them — while banking a 74.4 Pro Football Focus grade. He’ll turn 34 soon, but there’s a reason he’s on deck to start immediately for the Vikings. Gilmore is still a baller.
A steady Eddie on the defensive line, Phillips doesn’t get as much credit as he deserves. He takes care of the “ugly stuff” on the defensive line and is nicknamed Horrible Harry accordingly. Phillips is a better run defender than pass rusher, but in a Brian Flores-led defense that doesn’t employ too much run-stuffing beef, Phillips’ presence on the roster is vital.
Van Ginkel received ample playing time in 2023 when nearly every EDGE defender for the Dolphins was lost to injury. He had 6 sacks and 20 pressures, according to Stathead, along with a blistering 91.1 PFF grade.
He’s a transfer from the Flores days in Miami — a welcome one.
As a first-year defender, Pace Jr. fired up 102 total tackles, 9 QB hits, 2.5 sacks, and an interception. Not bad.
Now, he’s firmly entrenched in the purple defense and will become a team captain before too long. All the undrafted hype surrounding Pace Jr. at this time last year was real.
A new defender via free agency from the Houston Texans, Cashman will replace Jordan Hicks from last year’s roster. He busted out in 2023, tallying an 83.7 PFF grade.
His pass coverage skills will fit into Flores’ defense like a puzzle piece. Cashman could climb higher on this list before too long, but he needs another year to prove sustainability.
He’s from Eden Prairie.
Addison performed gloriously as a rookie in 2023 — when Kirk Cousins delivered the pigskin. After Joshua Dobbs and Jaren Hall took over, his production dipped, and Addison exited stage left from Rookie of the Year discussions. It’s worth noting, however, that Addison found some chemistry with Nick Mullens.
He’ll hope that Sam Darnold will play closer to Cousins’ ways than Dobbs’.
This guy will directly replace Danielle Hunter, and he just so happened to fire up 12.5 sacks in 2023, his age-26 season. Greenard is trending up and would’ve ranked higher on this list if he had back-to-back years of upper-echelon output. For now, he’s still in prove-it territory.
But Greenard’s 78.2 PFF grade in 2023 is undeniable. He’s also a superb run defender — not all pass rushers can claim that.
Aaron Jones was a Top 3 running back in the NFL during December and January, which is probably why the Vikings handed him a handsome one-year contract. The veteran runner helped propel Green Bay to the postseason and chip off the Dallas Cowboys.
With the injury caveat, he’s a top-five Viking this season, even at age 29.
These were Jones’ rushing-yard performances in 2023 to close out the season:
Hockenson will probably miss the start of the season, but he remains one of the most complete tight ends in the sport. He also fundamentally changed the Vikings’ offense — it only took about a week — when he arrived in 2022, and Minnesota’s trade with Detroit felt like a win-win for both sides.
When Hockenson returns in 2024, the Vikings’ offense can fully take off.
A Viking through and through, O’Neill was responsible for keeping the offensive line afloat when the OL stunk from 2018 to 2021.
He hasn’t experienced a PFF grade below 70.0 in a season since his rookie year and is one of the cornerstones of Vikings football after six seasons.
Darrisaw needs Pro Bowl kudos sooner rather than later, but he keeps getting overlooked, mainly because several veteran OTs have votes on lock.
Fans craved a foundational left tackle after McKinnie left in 2011, and 10 years later, Darrisaw arrived. He consistently ranks in the Top 5 of all credible OT metrics and is Minnesota’s second-best player entering 2024.
It’s why Minnesota’s front office extended Darrisaw a year early this summer to the tune of four years and $113 million.
Jefferson is the standard-bearer at wide receiver in the NFL right now — and he just turned 25. His career’s prime has yet to be seen by the masses if that can be believed.
He’s the best player on the Vikings’ roster and might be the top asset not named Patrick Mahomes in the NFL.
Honorable Mention:
Camryn Bynum (S)
Harrison Smith (S)
Josh Metellus (S)
Byron Murphy (CB)
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.