3 Vikings Weaknesses Heading into 2025
We like to look at a team’s strengths. It’s a positive exercise, but what about the Minnesota Vikings’ weaknesses?
They had two major ones last season that they addressed in a big way: the interior of both the defensive and offensive lines. So, what are the Vikings’ weaknesses heading into 2025?
VikingsTerritory looks at the three Vikings weaknesses heading into 2025.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has done a good job of building this roster to the point that I don’t have any major alarm bells sounding at any of the position groups. There are, however, three positions that give some cause for concern. Positions where the starters that are pencilled in are either unproven, and a leap of faith is being taken that they are ready.
Here are the three Vikings’ weaknesses heading into 2025;
Quarterback
I am a believer in J.J. McCarthy. However, there is no guarantee that a guy who has never played a snap in the NFL will be a success. Even if McCarthy does become the franchise quarterback the Vikings want him to be, it might take some time to click. You have to perceive the position as a weakness until McCarthy proves himself, especially as the depth at quarterback doesn’t give much confidence.
Unlike last season, when the Vikings had Sam Darnold in the building, who would eventually be QB1 after McCarthy’s injury. Minnesota has gone all in on their young QB with Sam Howell and Brett Rypien as the backup options.
Howell was the starting QB in Washington in his second season in 2023, where he threw for just shy of 4000 yards and 21 touchdowns – he also had 21 interceptions. Washington moved on to Jayden Daniels, and Howell spent last season in Seattle backing up Geno Smith.
Should the Vikings have to turn to Howell, there won’t be much confidence that he can mount a playoff push, even with Kevin O’Connell’s reputation as a QB whisperer. Rypien has four starts in his career across four seasons, throwing four touchdowns and nine interceptions.
He spent last season on the Vikings’ practice squad. Minnesota decided against a more experienced QB2 or potential starter and put all their eggs in the McCarthy basket. We will wait to see if it was the right decision.
Outside Cornerback
Byron Murphy isn’t a Pat Surtain or Trent McDuffie-caliber player, but he had his breakout season playing on the outside in 2024, which earned him a big three-year, $54 million contract with Minnesota. A league high, six interceptions among cornerbacks and an overall grade from Pro Football Focus of 72.8, who rank him as the 29th best CB coming into the 2025 season.
He now has to follow that season up with another one to prove himself a good starting CB.
The Vikings are excited by new signing Isaiah Rodgers, a free agent acquisition from the reigning Super Bowl champions. Rodgers had a breakout season in Philadelphia, particularly impressing at the business end of the playoffs.
A sixth-round pick for Indianapolis, his career was just picking up speed when he missed the 2023 season due to a ban for violating the league’s gambling policy. Rodgers can play across multiple spots, which is ideal in the Flores defense, but he doesn’t have much experience starting on the outside.
That may lead the Vikings to turn to Mekhi Blackmon on the outside. Blackmon impressed during the second half of his rookie season in 2023, but a torn ACL robbed him of the chance to build on that in 2024. Can he come back and be the Vikings’ answer on the outside?
Minnesota does have decent depth at the position with Jeff Okudah and Dwight McGlothern, and Flores should be able to work with the group with some success, but there is a lack of star power that can match up with the league’s best receivers when needed.
Deep Safety
For the last three seasons, Camryn Bynum has taken on the role of being the deep safety in Minnesota. He played deep, keeping everything in front of him, which allowed Flores to utilize Harrison Smith and Josh Metellus in what they do best. Come downhill and lurk around the line of scrimmage.
They are the two best safeties on the Vikings roster, but I don’t want to see either playing consistently deep. Smith isn’t the player in coverage he once was, and it has never been Metellus’ strong suit. With Bynum now in Indianapolis, the man for that job seems to be Theo Jackson.
Jackson has been in Minnesota for three seasons as a depth player and has done well with a couple of interceptions to his name. He earned a coverage grade of 77.1 last season, and if Flores thinks he is ready to take on a larger role, who am I to argue? Jackson’s play has looked good in small sample sizes, but he has never started a game in his career and played on only 7% of defensive snaps last season.
Taking up the mantle of Bynum’s every-down role is a considerable jump and may not be what the Vikings have in mind, but they will certainly need more than 7% from Jackson in 2025.
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