The 3 Unsung Heroes for Vikings En Route to 5-0 Start
The Minnesota Vikings have started the season perfectly, enjoying a 5-0 record while exiting their Week 6 bye.
The 3 Unsung Heroes for Vikings En Route to 5-0 Start
The team has executed on all cylinders to start the season, a balanced operation with the seventh-best odds to win the Super Bowl in February.
Along the way, these three unsung players have stood off the page in the last five games, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = best unsung performance).
3. Jalen Nailor (WR)
Nailor is not setting the world on fire for receiving yardage, only on pace to accrue about 466 yards. His touchdown totals, however, are glorious. He’s on pace for 10 paydirts, which is more than enough to satiate the request of a WR3.
He also accounted for a sweet block in Week 2 that sprung Justin Jefferson for a 97-yard touchdown — the difference in the contest between the Vikings and San Francisco 49ers.
Nailor has made some gaffes — a muffed punt against the Green Bay Packers — but on the whole, he’s proven his mettle as a quasi-dependable WR3.
2. Stephon Gilmore (CB)
Gilmore made the cut on this list because of his age. At 34, he should be showcasing a diminished tool bag.
But he’s not.
His 62.2 passer-rating-against is to die for. In fact, that’s the stat of a 26-year-old corner in his prime, barreling toward a Pro Bowl selection. Not for nothing, Gilmore already has five of those.
His interception off Aaron Rodgers sealed the deal in Week 5, a game-ending pick that felt ultra-necessary because Minnesota’s afternoon bent dangerously that day after a 17-0 lead was erased.
1. Andrew Van Ginkel (OLB)
This guy is everywhere in the Vikings’ defense.
He’s already netted two pick-sixes — which were basically the same play. He ripped off a pass from Daniel Jones in Week 1 and took it for six. Then, he did the same with the aforementioned Rodgers in London, the difference in the game per point differential.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah found Van Ginkel in free agency for $10 million per season (on average), and fans will continue to contemplate why he was so affordable. The guy boasted a 91.1 Pro Football Focus grade in 2023, meaning his price tag should’ve been closer to $20 million annually.
Because of his salary, he’s the top unsung Viking through six weeks.
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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.
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