Minnesota Vikings running back Ty Chandler (32) carries the ball in the third quarter of a Week 15 NFL football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Cincinnati Bengals, Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Bengals won 27-24 in overtime. © Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK.
Earlier this month, Pro Football Football Focus unveiled the NFL’s most underrated players, a publication that can be read here.
Ivan Pace Jr. led the way for Minnesota, though VikingsTerritory doesn’t consider him too underrated.
Now, it’s our turn for a full list — the 2024 edition. Here’s our take on the Vikings’ most underrated or underappreciated players, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = most underrated). For context, this was last year’s edition.
Some Vikings fans groaned when Tillery entered the chat this offseason, mainly because the club didn’t sign a high-profile defensive tackle like Christian Wilkins. Tillery, for some, felt like a blah consolation prize.
But while he hasn’t lived up to his 1st-Round draft stock — nothing close to it, in fact — Tillery produced a 67.7 PFF grade in 2023. That little stat flies under the radar. He isn’t Christian Wilkins, but the man is a decent lineman.
Similar to Tillery, Booth hasn’t lived up to his draft scouting report and is a frequent source of critique among Vikings loyalists. Still, Booth found the field on approximately 100 coverage snaps in 2023 and banked a 68.6 grade from PFF.
It’s hard to understand why some think he’s just awful. He performed quite well as a second-year commodity and will soon encounter a rather pivotal Year No. 3. He made the list because many believe he’s no good. It’s not true.
Chandler was accountable for about three productive games in 2023 after Minnesota’s coaching staff smartened up and benched Alexander Mattison. Notably, he notched 123 rushing yards and a touchdown in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals five months ago, and that doesn’t usually happen by accident.
Aaron Jones’ arrival slightly dampened Chandler’s 2024 stock, but some wouldn’t have minded his nomination as RB1. Never forget — with 4.38 speed, Chandler is fast as hell.
PFF called Van Ginkel the seventh-best EDGE rusher in the NFL last year, and the deal he signed in Minnesota aligned with that of the 37th-best. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah found Van Ginkel on a steal of a deal at two years and $20 million.
His 91.1 PFF grade needs no additional explanation.
Just like Vikings faithful pound the table for Ivan Pace Jr.’s rookie season, they should do the same for Blackmon. But they don’t. Folks have a hobby of savaging Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s draft picks and then never really mentioning Blackmon, Jordan Addison, or Ty Chandler. It’s strange.
Blackmon checked in as the league’s third-best rookie corner in 2023 and 30th-best overall, including veterans. The man has not received his flowers from Vikings fans, and it doesn’t add up. He authored a phenomenal rookie campaign.
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.