6 Vikings Players Voted to Pro Bowl
The NFL announced Pro Bowl participants on Thursday, two days before the start of Week 18.
6 Vikings Players Voted to Pro Bowl
The Vikings, a club with a 14-2 record, employ six of those fortunate players.
These are those men listed alphabetically.
1. Sam Darnold (QB)
Darnold ranks seventh in the NFL through 17 games among all qualifying quarterbacks per EPA+CPOE, an efficiency metric measuring expected wins added. He’s outproducing the Kirk Cousins seasons in Minnesota at an 80% discount.
The guy some fans claimed during the summer could have a “Baker Mayfield style reclamation season” is having a … Baker Mayfield-like reclamation season — and then some. He’s accounted for 36 touchdowns entering Week 18.
2. Andrew DePaola (LS)
Even with an injury sidelining him for four weeks, DePaola got another Pro Bowl nod, his third. That’s quite a testament to his reputation — and Vikings fans’ voting habits.
He’s well known as the league’s best long snapper, and Pro Bowl voting vindicated that opinion.
3. Jonathan Greenard (OLB)
Greenard ranks third in the NFL in quarterback pressures, trailing only Myles Garrett and Trey Hendrickson. He also has 11 sacks through Week 17.
The ex-Houston Texan has directly replaced Danielle Hunter’s fantastic production from 2015 to 2023, and Greenard is even more affordable than Hunter’s current price in Houston.
4. Justin Jefferson (WR)
The Vikings’ best player without any debates from anybody — will head to another Pro Bowl, tabulating four in his young career.
Jefferson missed the cut last year because of an injured hamstring and a seven-game absence.
But that won’t happen in 2024. Jefferson punched another ticket to the Pro Bowl. The phenom playmaker has 100 catches on the nose, with 1,479 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.
5. Byron Murphy (CB)
Murphy has tabulated 6 interceptions in 2024 — all of them pretty damn crucial and pivotal — while showcasing a sweet 74.0 passer-rating-against.
Minnesota made Murphy its keynote defensive secondary signing in 2023, and during his first season, Murphy played in a decent category. Now, he’s playing at a Pro Bowl level.
The NFL has now noticed, officially affording Murphy his Pro Bowl flowers for the first time.
6. Andrew Van Ginkel (OLB)
Van Ginkel has already scored 2 defensive touchdowns in 2024, his first season as a Viking. And while those transactions were spectacular, they don’t begin to describe his effect on the franchise. He does it all.
The 29-year-old has notched 72 total tackles, 19 quarterback hits, 17 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, 2 touchdowns, and a forced fumble. He and his counterpart, Jonathan Greenard, are playing so efficiently that 1st-Rounder Dallas Turner doesn’t see the field as much as fans expected when the season kicked off.
It’s the first Pro Bowl selection for Van Ginkel after six seasons in the league.
Alternates
Vikings.com also revealed Minnesota’s alternates who will be next in line if other players drop out:
- 1st Alternate: C.J. Ham (FB)
- 3rd Alternate: Garrett Bradbury (C)
- 3rd Alternate: Joshua Metellus (S)
- 4th Alternate: T.J. Hockenson (TE)
- 4th Alternate: Brian O’Neill (OT)
- 4th Alternate: Trent Sherfield (ST)
- 6th Alternate: Harrison Phillips (DT)
How the Vikings Can Beat the Lions
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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