Fans Agree on One Thing for Vikings Offseason
The Minnesota Vikings won 14 games last year when sportsbooks pegged the purple team for about six or seven wins all offseason.
Fans Agree on One Thing for Vikings Offseason
Of course, Minnesota totally died in the playoffs, losing in the Wildcard Round to the Los Angeles Rams.
And with free agency now less than three weeks away, fans universally agree on one offseason to-do item for the Vikings: fix the damn trenches.
For starters, to set the table, Minnesota’s offensive line did not struggle, generally speaking, in 2024. It’s just that the lasting memory of surrendering 9 sacks to the Rams prevails. Here’s the offensive line lowdown from last season:
Vikings OL Rankings,
2024:
ESPN Pass Block = 2nd
Sharp Analysis = 9th
Pro Football Network = 10th
ESPN Run Block = 15th
PFF = 18th
And on defense, according to ESPN, the Vikings ranked fourth per pass-rush win rate and fourth per run-stop win rate.
Therefore, unless one wishes to ignore the unbiased math from last season blatantly, Minnesota will start the free-agent and draft process from a point of relative strength. The trenches were not stinky. Not by a long shot.
However, onlookers watched as the Philadelphia Eagles won a Super Bowl — because of glorious offensive and defensive trenches. Vikings fans watched the Eagles bruise the dynastic Kansas City Chiefs and said, “That’s how our team needs to be.”
Moreover, the Detroit Lions, the Vikings’ sudden foe, also have deep offensive trenches and pretty ferocious defensive linemen. Vikings faithful want the purple team to keep pace.
So, these are the theoretical fixes if Minnesota does not promote in-house solutions like last year’s rookies Michael Jurgens and Walter Rouse.
iOL Free-Agent Options:
Drew Dalman (Center)
Ryan Kelly (Center)
Trey Smith (Guard)
Mekhi Becton (Guard)
Kevin Zeitler (Guard)
Will Fries (Guard)
Brandon Scherff (Guard)
Teven Jenkins (Guard)
iOL Draft Candidates:
(all guards)
Tyler Booker (Alabama)
Jonah Savaiinaea (Arizona)
Armand Membou (Missouri)
Donovan Jackson (Ohio State)
And the defense.
iDL Free-Agent Options:
Javon Hargrave
Milton Williams
Poona Ford
B.J. Hill
Osa Odighizuwa
Levi Onwuzurike
Jarran Reed
iDL Draft Candidates:
Kenneth Grant (Michigan)
Derrick Harmon (Oregon)
Walter Nolen (Ole Miss)
Tyleik Williams (Ohio State)
Deone Walker (Kentucky)
Amid the mass call for trench reform, don’t forget cornerbacks. The Vikings need a couple of those, too. An additional running back wouldn’t hurt either.
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.
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