Several Vikings Snubbed in Top 100 NFL List
Every year, notable NFL writer Pete Prisco publishes a Top 100 list of NFL players heading into the regular season, a staple of June NFL content. The Minnesota Vikings, this time, were a bit left out in the cold.
CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco released his Top 100 list, and a few Vikings were totally absent — including some fan favorites.
Two obvious choices earned placement on the Top 100 list, but a few names were mysteriously absent.
This is the skinny on Prisco’s Top 100 list from a Vikings perspective.
Justin Jefferson, Christian Darrisaw = Vikings in Top 100 List
For starters, Justin Jefferson checked in at No. 7. Prisco opined, “Jefferson continues to make a strong case as the best receiver in the league. He had 103 catches with 10 touchdowns last season, but had 28 catches of 20 yards or more to lead the league. (Last season: No. 7).”
Fifty-two spots later, Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw appeared at No. 59, and Prisco explained, “Darrisaw was limited to seven starts last season because of a torn ACL. When he was on the field, he was playing at a dominating level. He’s one of the best pass blockers in the league. (Last season: No. 54).”
And for context, Prisco described his ranking criteria: “In putting together this list, which started as a top 50 list way back when I first started at CBS in the early 2000s, one thing is clear: There isn’t a lot of star power in the league right now. What we have is big group of really good players ranked from 20-60. That was the toughest part in doing these rankings.”
“A lot of those players are grouped together, so slotting them was tough. Dive in and take a look and get as angry and nasty as you want. I know it’s coming. Any list like this does that — and I’ve been doing this for a long time.”
Jonathan Greenard Snubbed
Now, for the snubs.
Jonathan Greenard logged 12 sacks and 18 tackles for loss last year with the Vikings, his first with the club. He also obtained an 81.1 grade from Pro Football Focus, making him the NFL’s 16th-best EDGE defender.
It’s not easy to find a prolific outside linebacker who stops the run and sacks quarterbacks, but Minnesota found exactly that in Greenard. At the very least, he should’ve checked in at No. 100 over Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford.
Greenard also reached the Pro Bowl in 2024. So did the next guy.
No Andrew Van Ginkel
Andrew Van Ginkel was snubbed, too. The versatile EDGE accounted for 79 total tackles, 11.5 sacks, 19 quarterback hits, 18 tackles for loss, and two pick-sixes in 2024, along with a commendable 71.4 PFF mark.
The 29-year-old also received an extension for his efforts this offseason, enjoying a $23 million deal that connects him to the Vikings through the end of 2026.
Greenard and Van Ginkel even flirted with fringe Defensive Player of the Year consideration for much of the 2024 campaign. In the end, Van Ginkel finished 7th in Defensive Player of the Year voting while Greenard came in at 11th.
What about Brian O’Neill?
O’Neill’s 79.3 PFF score speaks for itself, and on the basis of consistency, he, too, should’ve gotten the nod from Prisco in the Top 10. In fact, a reasonable case can be made that O’Neill deserved the Top 100 love ahead of Greenard or Van Ginkel if the criteria mandated that it could only be one more Viking.
O’Neill’s teammate, the aforementioned Darrisaw, missed half of the 2024 regular season after tearing his ACL in a game against the Los Angeles Rams, and O’Neill helped maintain the offensive line’s efficiency.
It’s not a hot take to suggest that O’Neill is one of the top 100 players in the NFL.
Patrick Mahomes as the Top Dog
Predictably and rightfully, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes earned the No. 1 rung on the ladder via Prisco’s Top 100.
“It’s become trendy to say Patrick Mahomes isn’t the same guy he was a few years ago. That’s absurd. His numbers the past two seasons might not have been as gaudy as they were in some other seasons, but Mahomes is still the best player in the NFL, which is why he is No. 1 in my annual ranking of the league’s top 100 players,” Prisco explained.
“Quibble with his numbers all you want, he would still be the first player picked in any open draft. Mahomes isn’t the only quarterback in my top 10. There are four. The others are Josh Allen (4), Lamar Jackson (6) and Joe Burrow (7). They are the elite of the NFL passers and clearly a group ahead of the rest.”
Cleveland Browns EDGE rusher Myles Garrett placed at No. 2, with Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles rounding out the top three.
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