Sep 14, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Brian O'Neill (75) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings have a 5-2 standing through seven games and host the Indianapolis Colts this weekend on Sunday Night Football.
The game is set up as the Vikings’ almighty pivotal experience, determining whether their season is back on track or tumbling out of control.
And with seven games in the books, these are the Vikings’ four most underrated players, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = most underrated).
Vikings fans spent a lot of time daydreaming about trades for Dexter Lawrence (New York Giants) and Jeffery Simmons (Tennessee Titans) — which is fine — but Jerry Tillery hasn’t played horribly. He’s produced a passable 65.5 Pro Football Focus grade and is adept at stopping the run.
Tillery has also totaled 10 pressures through 7 games. Minnesota will likely upgrade his spot next offseason, but Tillery has not played poorly, nor is he a liability. He’s similar to his counterpart, Jonathan Bullard — decent but not great.
Darnold is on pace for these numbers in 2024:
Still, some Vikings fans have wondered if that’s good enough, even spitballing a Matthew Stafford trade last week.
Darnold is playing well enough for Minnesota to reach the postseason. It wasn’t supposed to do that in 2024, and Darnold is far outplaying his $10 million contract. He’s underrated.
Minnesota’s rookie kicker has been perfect in 2024, and if not for his Week 5 heroism in London, the Vikings would be 4-3 right now instead of 5-2.
The guy will eventually miss a kick or two, but at the moment, he’s close to the best kicker in the sport. He does wonders for Vikings fans’ confidence level after decades of dread and doldrums.
Reichard isn’t just good by Minnesota’s kicking standards; he’s elite right now.
This is O’Neill’s Pro Football Focus resume since 2018:
Outside of 2022, O’Neill is producing a career year. And because Minnesota employs Christian Darrisaw — until last week’s injury — O’Neill gets slightly overshadowed.
But the man is a monster at his craft.
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 MIN 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.