The Current Burning Questions for the Vikings
And just like that, summer has arrived.
The Vikings’ first regular season game is about three months away, and these are burning questions for the team beforehand.
The Minnesota Vikings will hope to maintain or stave off regression from a 14-3 record in 2024, led by quarterback J.J. McCarthy, whom the club picked in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft.
All things Vikings will heat up next month, but in the meantime, here’s a look at burning questions for the team before Week 1, a date at the Chicago Bears on September 8th — Monday Night Football.
The questions are listed ascendingly, with No. 1 as the most pressing question.
6. Does Tai Felton Project as an Immediate Contributor?
Vikings fans did not expect the franchise to pick a wide receiver in Round 3 this year, but they did, and of course, folks are excited about it. The Vikings don’t often swing and miss when drafting WRs.
Felton has speed galore, and the Vikings arguably have a WR3 or WR4 opening. Incumbent WR3 Jalen Nailor’s contract runs out after the 2025 campaign. Wideouts picked in Round 3 aren’t scratch-offs like men from Round 7. Felton should contribute.
But how soon? Will he swipe a WR3 or WR4 job this September?
5. Is the CB Room Complete?
These are the Vikings’ main cornerbacks at the beginning of June:
— Byron Murphy Jr.
— Isaiah Rodgers
— Mekhi Blackmon
— Jeff Okudah
— Dwight McGlothern
— Ambry Thomas
The question is rather simple. Is that enough CB beef for a Super Bowl-contending team?
4. Will Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Fire Off Any Trades?
Many fans thought Kwesi Adofo-Mensah would trade his 24th overall draft pick in April down the board for more dartboard throws. He didn’t.
However, each summer, the recently-extended executive fires off a trade or two, and there’s no reason to believe 2025 will be different.
In theory, Adofo-Mensah could call the Miami Dolphins for cornerback Jalen Ramsey, explore the availability of tight end Michael Mayer from the Las Vegas Raiders, or dial up his old employers for a chat about cornerback Greg Newsome II, to name a few examples.
Unlike last year at this time, the Vikings’ draft pick piggybank is not tapped.
The Score‘s Dan Wilkins wrote about Ramsey’s trade candidacy this week, “It’s just a matter of time until Ramsey leaves Miami. The Dolphins confirmed they’re weighing trade options for the seven-time Pro Bowl corner after the two sides agreed it was best to part ways. While there’s no rush, it’s possible that Miami already has a deal in place and is simply waiting for June 1 to pass. At that point, the 2025 dead-money charge would drop from $25.2 million to $6.7 million.”
“Ramsey, 31, will be looking for an opportunity to chase another title. He’s still playing at a high level, so several contenders should be interested. Considering the Dolphins only had to give up a third-round pick and a backup tight end to get him two years ago, the new asking price shouldn’t be an issue either. This feels like a Rams move, doesn’t it?”
Ramsey and Vikings skipper Kevin O’Connell won a Super Bowl together in Los Angeles four years ago.
Wilkins added, “Reuniting with Ramsey would fill a major need on the back end of their defense, and returning to the slot-heavy role he played for their Super Bowl-winning team in 2021 could help him prolong an already incredible NFL career.”
3. Who’s the CB2?
In September, Minnesota will probably trot Isaiah Rodgers onto the field as the other starting cornerback next to Byron Murphy Jr., and that will be that.
Yet, Rodgers has never consistently started in the big leagues, and a gambling suspension ruined his 2023 campaign. Is Rodgers as the CB2 a no-brainer, or will a dark horse like Mekhi Blackmon, Jeff Okudah, or Dwight McGlothern emerge from the woodwork?
2. Will Christian Darrisaw Play Week 1 or Soon After?
Christian Darrisaw blew out his knee in late October 2024. Per a normal ACL recovery, that should place him in the starting lineup … sometime in September, which is, of course, when the regular season kicks off.
Still, this brand of purple leadership proceeds delicately with all injury recoveries, and Darrisaw probably won’t be an outlier. Even if the man says personally that he’s good to go, like T.J. Hockenson one year ago, the team could hold him out of the lineup for a while out of an abundance of caution.
In short, will Darrisaw be ready on September 8th at the Chicago Bears, or will the Vikings let new veteran tackle Justin Skule start for a few games?
1. Is J.J. McCarthy Ready for Big Time?
This really doesn’t need any additional analysis.
J.J. McCarthy has aced the test since tearing his meniscus last August, looking the part at organized team activities and sounding the part on a microphone. He’s as charismatic as hell, but charisma alone doesn’t win football games.
The Vikings will hand McCarthy the QB1 baton in September, almost no matter what. Will he play like Justin Herbert in 2020 or C.J. Stroud in 2023 — or struggle, like many rookies, setting the tone for an up-and-down season?
It’s the almighty Vikings question this summer. It burns white hot. Is McCarthy that guy?
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