Vikings Players Getting a Power Up
With the start of OTAs for the Vikings, we have mainly moved past the “shiny new toys” phase of the offseason.
The presence of newcomers has empowered some existing Vikings players, and Tony Schultz breaks it down.
While more players may be added to the roster after June 1st or in August around training camp cutdowns, this is the first time the team appears mostly complete, and the players who won’t make the final roster start getting fully vetted. We tend to get so excited about the new pieces that we forget that the guys that are already on the team are pretty good and have the chance to look even better.
So, let’s put our focus back on the guys that are already here and what those new teammates mean to them. These guys now receive a power-up with the addition of new team members. For some, it will be a guy that works in the same team unit, and for others, it will be a boost from someone doing their job in another spot on the field. What players are getting a power-up this year?
Brian O’Neill
Power Up: Will Fries – Fries was one of the best offensive linemen available in free agency this offseason. His ability to be strong in both the run and pass game is something fans have wanted for the interior line for several years.
Sometimes, when we’re watching a game, we see an error in the blocking and assume the player we see in front of us on the screen is at fault. We later gain a better understanding of the blocking scheme and a wider television view, and we see who had certain responsibilities, finding that the person we’re yelling at was right where they were supposed to be. O’Neill, a Pro Bowl player, has had that kind of treatment until the “all 22” film comes out and proves different.
O’Neill now has a strong complementary blocker next to him, who will cut down on errors that O’Neill may have had to compensate for, and free him up to stick to his one-on-one assignments. This should also reduce double-team blocking when facing a tougher defensive front. He and Fries should be able to get more push, thus making those holes on the right side wider and making him look even better.
Aaron Jones
Power Up: Ryan Kelly – Aaron Jones had one of his best years as a running back in the NFL in 2024. He ran for more yards than in previous years, being the main ball carrier and not having to split as many carries with another back.
The 30-year-old looked slightly rejuvenated by the season’s end, even though some bumps and bruises hampered him. While he is a reasonably tough runner and has great speed, he frequently had to slip past defenders in the backfield and slide through narrow running lanes to get downfield. His job wasn’t always easy. Now add in Kelly, and he has some solid blocking up the middle to make his life a little easier between the 5-yard lines.
It gets even better when the team gets within 5 yards of the goal line. Jones only had 5 rushing touchdowns, and that led the team. C.J. Ham, Cam Akers, Sam Darnold, and Jordan Addison all came in 2nd with one touchdown apiece. One. With all the added beef upfront, being able to get better push, getting Jones over the goal line should increase greatly, as should short-yardage runs.
Fries also adds to the equation, and if Donovan Jackson pans out as we all hope, it might get even better. Jones’ best season as a running back might be right in front of him.
Harrison Phillips
Power Up: Javon Hargrave and Johnathan Allen – There is usually a guy on a stellar defensive line that gets the afterthought treatment. Think of Gary Larson on the original Purple People Eaters with Jim Marshall, Carl Eller, and Allan Page, or Al Noga with Henry Thomas, Keith Millard, and Chris Doleman. They were just as much a part of the history, but they don’t get mentioned as much.
Harrison Phillips has been kind of the opposite in that he’s been the best player on the defensive line the last few years, but fans aren’t giving him the credit he deserves. He’s the unsung hero on the defense. He has had some strong games, either making his presence felt on the stat sheet or doing the dirty work that got his teammates freed up to get the accolades.
Now that Hargrave and Allen are getting more attention than previous teammates, this should free up Phillips to do more damage that gets noticed. While he might not go for the sack record, he could see those numbers increase as he faces more one-on-one matchups in passing situations. He should definitely see his tackles and, more importantly, his tackles for loss go up as he is freed to get better penetration into the backfield on running plays.
I believe these are the kind of guys Phillips has been hoping would join him in the trenches to make that front seven more dominant in the run and pass game, and not put the onus on him. He would have settled for one of them but got two.
T.J. Hockenson
Power Up: J.J. McCarthy – How can a guy that didn’t play a single regular season snap last year and is basically a rookie be a power up? The answer is a combination of two things. Last year, Hockenson was recovering from an injury and didn’t start playing until Week 9 in 2024. Half the season is gone by then.
Over the last few years, he had Kirk Cousins slinging the pigskin to him, and they had a very good rapport, hooking up regularly. When he came back, it was Sam Darnold throwing it to him, and they just never seemed to really click. Being out for so long did not help them make a connection, but even as the season progressed, they only had one game where he showed out, and that was a seven-catch, 114-yard game in Chicago. He had zero touchdowns on the season.
It felt like more than just chemistry, but that Darnold wasn’t looking at his tight ends enough during the season and forcing it to his receivers. Watching some Michigan film on Coleston Loveland in 2023, it seems like McCarthy is more comfortable getting it to his tight ends. He’s an up-the-field style of tight end like Hockenson, and I feel McCarthy is going to target his tight ends more often than use them as a safety valve.
Hockenson should see more planned passes come his way and get better looks from McCarthy, putting him back on the numbers a guy like him is accustomed to while still getting Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison their fair share. If Addison is suspended for any amount of time, Hockenson might become even more of a target.
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