Vikings Draft Argument Part 1 | Build the Offense
The struggle teams have when it comes to improving their chances of having a successful season is choosing the right pieces for their roster puzzle.
They may need to improve on both sides of the ball some years, while others swing one side or the other. The Vikings have set themselves up to strengthen either side or both if they choose by keeping players in-house and having a successful free agency.
Vikings Draft Argument Part 1 | Build the Offense
The draft comes next, with another round of free agency after that, and then cuts in the summer. Is there a side they should concentrate on more than the other? I’ll give my arguments for each side, starting with the offense.
“The best defense is a good offense.” Oh, how many times have we heard that over the years? While football is the game most associated with the phrase, it was initially attributed to General and future President George Washington. It’s a paraphrase of his actual quote, but it’s a simple rule some teams follow. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that way of thinking. Look at the 98 Vikings and how they racked up points, causing teams to chase or keep pace.
The trifecta of Cris Carter, Jake Reed, and Randy Moss frightened defensive backs and gave coordinators fits trying to figure out how to cover a unit lovingly called “3 Deep”. Most forget the team also employed an excellent receiving tight end in Andrew Glover, and the passing game got more dangerous if David Palmer was in the backfield catching passes. The running backs were nothing to sniff at either, with the 1-2 punch of Robert Smith and Leroy Hoard outrunning or running you over.
Then, throw in Chuck Evans catching the ball from his fullback position. Brad Johnson and Randall Cunningham could stand behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL and disperse the ball as they saw fit without much problem. The 556 points scored that year was the most in NFL history at that point. Outscoring teams is a sure way to win if your defense is just good enough to hold off the opposition.
The Vikings’ offense is formidable right now, with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson as the main threats to catch the ball and burn a team. Jalen Nailor has been an above-average third wide receiver, and Josh Oliver is a decent receiver as well when given the chance.
Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason make up what could be a great backfield this year, with CJ Ham being a solid fullback. The offensive line just jumped up a bit with the free-agent additions of Ryan Kelly and Will Fries, added to Pro Bowl tackle Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw.
The only question mark is whether J.J. McCarthy is the quarterback to ignite the fuse that might cause this offense to explode on the NFL battlefield. Hopes are very high that he is with Kevin O’Connell and his staff, saying it was all right if Sam Darnold, who was great for most of the 2024 season, was allowed to move on to another team. Let’s assume that McCarthy is going to be great for this exercise. If (it’s a big if) the offense is already strong, why would the team allocate more draft picks and free agents to that side of the ball?
Using General Washington’s advice, the team could make the offense more than just a problem for other teams … they could make it a nightmare. Let’s say that in the draft, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah goes after offensive talent, which is, for the most part, near the top.
Whether they stay put or make trades to strengthen the offense and somewhat ignore the defense could be a good plan. A few ways they could do this is with the first pick. The Vikings could take a top guard in Gray Zabel or Tyler Booker to make the offensive line extremely sturdy.
With a line that can get better push for the backs and protect McCarthy longer, the team could score more often and wear teams down at the end of games while securing a lead. As some have suggested, maybe you can make a trade for a player like Quinton Nelson — the best guard in the league — to have a stellar line, and you know what they all bring without the question of a rookie. Adding a weapon like Tyler Warren, Coleston Loveland, or Mason Taylor at tight end would make for a bevy of targets for the short passing game or hitting passes up the seam.
This also strengthens the offensive line on goal line and short yardage packages, increasing the chances of running backs getting across the goal line. And while wide receiver is solid for the team, drafting one of the top prospects would possibly bring back “3 Deep” with even better tight end play underneath that may upgrade it to “3 Deep +1” with Hockenson. Running back is a need on the team for depth, but not necessarily a starter unless adding in Ashton Jeanty is an option.
That stable of backs taking handoffs out of the backfield would give the offense the ultimate balance for the run and the pass. Taking any of these players or trading back up and getting a combination would fill the offensive coffers to overflowing. Finally, you can’t ignore that teams may cast off players that could boost the offense after the draft or during training camp, and the team still has cap room to sign impact players.
Why would the team do this and ignore the defense? Because they can win with the defensive talents they now have. The one problem the 1998 Vikings had was that the defense was built to merely keep up with the offense and not take games over. Don’t get me wrong, I love most of the guys that played on that team, but they were lightly built and made for speed.
The team could win by scoring 42 points, but the defense had to ensure the opponent only scored 41. It was a dangerous game, and only Tampa Bay figured it out during the regular season by never punting in the game as the only regular season loss. PFF recently said in an article that the Vikings have zero position holes to fill on the team, meaning all they have to do is draft for depth and the future.
While the defense is older, with Harrison Smith nearing retirement and Javon Hargrave and Johnathan Allen being older new guys to the team, they still filled positions that needed upgrading.
The Vikings also have great depth at defensive line and at the rush end positions, which can improve your defensive backfield by adding pressure up front. By retaining Byron Murphy Jr. and adding Isaiah Rodgers, cornerback is much better situated after free agency. Safety and the interior linebackers could use some depth for injury coverage, but the team would be able to go without major upgrades and wouldn’t struggle much if they lost players like Ivan Pace Jr. or Blake Cashman for a few games. The other improvements would cover those losses.
On paper, the Vikings’ defense looks like it could be a top 10-15 this next year. With an elite offense, the defense could go to the top 10 if they get to pin their ears back most of the time as the offense makes the enemy one-dimensional. Thus, this strategy improves the defense through superior offense, and General Washington would be proud.
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