Minnesota Vikings (Last Year: 14-3)
2025 NFL Season Preview:
Veteran Additions:
QB Sam Howell, RB Jordan Mason, WR Rondale Moore, G Will Fries, C Ryan Kelly, DT Javon Hargrave, DT Jonathan Allen, LB Eric Wilson, CB Isaiah Rodgers.
Early Draft Picks:
G Donovan Jackson, WR Tai Felton. Vikings Rookie Forecast
Offseason Losses:
QB Nick Mullens, OT David Quessenberry, C Garrett Bradbury, DE Jonathan Bullard, DT Jerry Tillery, DT Jihad Ward, OLB Pat Jones, CB Stephon Gilmore, CB Shaq Griffin, S Camryn Bynum.
2025 Minnesota Vikings Offense:
When J.J. McCarthy was lost for the season with an injury, no one gave the Vikings much of a chance. Sam Darnold had been terrible for most of his career, after all, so how could the Vikings possibly be competitive on a weekly basis with him at the helm? Well, everyone was proven wrong, as Darnold had a great year to help lead the Vikings to a 14-3 record. The season concluded with a first-round playoff exit, but Darnold still played way above expectations.
Darnold is now gone, so McCarthy will be the starter this season. There is once again plenty of pessimism regarding the Vikings – they are underdogs to make the playoffs – but the doubters are forgetting what made Darnold so great in the first place. Darnold, primarily, was coached up by Kevin O’Connell, a brilliant offensive-minded coach. O’Connell was able to get Cousins to play at his highest level, and he did the same with Joshua Dobbs, Nick Mullens, and Darnold. Who’s to say he can’t do the same with McCarthy, who was his hand-picked quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft? The Vikings could have kept Darnold, but they opted for McCarthy instead.
Obviously, Darnold also was able to benefit from his receiving corps. Justin Jefferson is arguably the best receiver in the NFL, while Jordan Addison is likely a top-five No. 2 wideout. There’s also T.J. Hockenson, who returned from a torn ACL to have a strong second half of the season. Hockenson will be 100 percent to begin the year, so McCarthy’s situation is even better than Darnold’s concerning his play-making threats.
McCarthy will also have the edge as far as the offensive line is concerned. This is for two reasons. First, Christian Darrisaw suffered a season-ending injury in the middle of the year. The Vikings acquired Cam Robinson, but he was just a mediocre replacement. Darrisaw is arguably the best left tackle in the NFL, and he is likely to play more in 2025 than he did in 2024. His bookend, Brian O’Neill, is one of the better right tackles in the league.
Second, McCarthy will be getting a huge boost from the interior blocking. That part of Minnesota’s offensive line wasn’t very good last year, but it’ll be greatly improved. The Vikings signed two Colts linemen – Ryan Kelly, Will Fries – to be colossal upgrades at center and right guard, respectively. The new left guard will be first-round rookie Donovan Jackson.
This improved blocking unit will also help Aaron Jones. The veteran back had a solid 2024 campaign, but 2025 will be far better with Kelly, Fries and Jackson joining the team. Jones, however, has an extensive injury history, so Minnesota signed Jordan Mason as an insurance policy. Mason did a great job in relief of Christian McCaffrey last year, so the Vikings are in good hands if Jones gets hurt.
2025 Minnesota Vikings Defense:
The Vikings had a 13-4 record in 2022, but were eliminated from the playoffs in the opening round. The culprit was the defense, which couldn’t stop the Daniel Jones-led Giants. Minnesota hired Brian Flores as its new coordinator, and there was major improvement, as the Vikings went from 28th to 13th in points allowed.
There was another big jump in 2024, as the Vikings surrendered the fifth-fewest points in the NFL. Flores did a great job of scheming against young quarterbacks, forcing them into many turnovers. Flores’ tricks didn’t work against Matthew Stafford in the playoffs, however, because Stafford is the master at deciphering blitzes, but Minnesota’s defense had a great year otherwise.
The Vikings added some personnel to make sure they wouldn’t have to blitz as much. They acquired two defensive linemen in free agency, obtaining Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Allen may be the bigger name, but he hasn’t performed on a high level in a couple of years. Flores could get the most out of him, however. Meanwhile, Javon Hargrave missed all but three games last season, though he performed on a very high level as a pass rusher in prior years. Allen and Hargrave will flank nose tackle Harrison Phillips, who isn’t a very good player.
Most of Minnesota’s pass-rushing production will come from the edge once again, as the Vikings had two players who logged double-digit sacks, Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. While Greenard is the better natural pass rusher, Van Ginkel did everything for Minnesota, whether it was help stop the run or thrive in coverage. There’s also 2024 first-rounder Dallas Turner, who didn’t do much as a rookie, but could become more of a factor now that he has experience.
The Vikings figure to have a stronger secondary as well in 2025. Not only did they sign Isaiah Rodgers, who didn’t get much of a chance last year with Philadelphia because he was stuck behind so many talented cornerbacks, but Minnesota also will get Mekhi Blackmon back from injury. Blackmon had a great 2023 season, but was lost for all of 2024 when he tore his ACL in July. He’ll provide a huge boost, though the top cornerback will continue to be Byron Murphy, who is coming off an excellent year.
The safeties will remain the same, but they didn’t need to change. Harrison Smith and Josh Metellus did a solid job at the position last year. That could be the case again in 2025, though there’s concern with Smith’s age (36).
Minnesota will also welcome back both starting off-ball linebackers. Blake Cashman was fantasic last season, thriving in both coverage and run support. Ivan Pace Jr. was a solid complement as a two-down run defender.
2025 Minnesota Vikings Schedule and Intangibles:
Minnesota’s home-field advantage has been tremendous during the past decade; the Vikings are 71-36 as a host since 2012. The team was 7-1 in 2024.
The Vikings have endured kicking issues for years. They drafted Will Reichard in the sixth round last year. He went 24-of-30, but hit 8-of-11 tries from 50-plus.
Ryan Wright finished 22nd in net punting last year. He did a decent job of pinning the opposition in between the 20s.
The Vikings have a mixed schedule. They have to battle the Eagles, Ravens, Steelers, and Redskins, but they also get to beat up on the Browns, Seahawks, Giants, and Cowboys.
2025 Minnesota Vikings Rookies:
Go here for the Vikings Rookie Forecast, a page with predictions like which rookie will bust and which rookie will become a solid starter.
2025 Minnesota Vikings Positional Rankings (1-5 stars):
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2025 Minnesota Vikings Analysis: The Vikings are the most underrated team in the NFL. They’re underdogs to make the playoffs, yet they have one of the best rosters in the league. They boast a top-three offensive line, a great receiving corps, a strong rushing attack, a defense that surrendered the fifth-fewest points a year ago, and an amazing coaching staff. Quarterback is the lone question mark, but if Kevin O’Connell could get Sam Darnold to go 14-3, the sky is the limit with J.J. McCarthy unless he’s a total bust.
Projection: 13-4 (1st in NFC North)
2024 Projection: 5-12. 2024 Actual Result: 14-3.
2023 Projection: 9-8. 2023 Actual Result: 7-10.
2022 Projection: 8-9. 2022 Actual Result: 13-4.
2021 Projection: 8-9. 2021 Actual Result: 8-9.
2020 Projection: 9-7. 2020 Actual Result: 7-9.
2019 Projection: 7-9. 2019 Actual Result: 10-6.
2018 Projection: 9-7. 2018 Actual Result: 8-7-1.
2017 Projection: 8-8. 2017 Actual Result: 13-3.
2016 Projection: 11-5. 2016 Actual Result: 8-8.
NFL Draft Team Grade: B Grade
Goals Entering the 2025 NFL Draft: The Vikings have just four draft picks, so it would be in their best interest to trade down and accumulate more draft capital. Then again, they have a loaded roster without any weaknesses, so it’s not like they need the extra selections.
2025 NFL Draft Accomplishments: Minnesota tried to move down from No. 24, but no one wanted to trade up. The team eventually was able to accumulate an additional draft pick, though it used a resource to trade for Sam Howell.
As far as the actual draft picks are concerned, the Vikings landed Donovan Jackson with their first-round selection. Some would argue that this was too early for Jackson, but the Lions had interest four picks later. Kevin O’Connell asked Jackson, “How would you like to come and create the best offensive line in the NFL?” If Minnesota’s goal was to create the top blocking unit in the NFL this offseason, then it certainly has appeared to have succeeeded.
Of the other four picks, the Vikings had one “A” grade and three grades at “B” or B-. The “A” grade came via Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, a defensive tackle with loads of potential. Defensive tackle seemed to be the one area Minnesota had to address, and it did that spectacularly.
Overall, this is a difficult grade because the Vikings had so few choices. Considering their limitations, they did well.
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Projection: 13-4 (1st in NFC North)
2024 Projection: 5-12. 2024 Actual Result: 14-3.
2023 Projection: 9-8. 2023 Actual Result: 7-10.
2022 Projection: 8-9. 2022 Actual Result: 13-4.
2021 Projection: 8-9. 2021 Actual Result: 8-9.
2020 Projection: 9-7. 2020 Actual Result: 7-9.
2019 Projection: 7-9. 2019 Actual Result: 10-6.
2018 Projection: 9-7. 2018 Actual Result: 8-7-1.
2017 Projection: 8-8. 2017 Actual Result: 13-3.
2016 Projection: 11-5. 2016 Actual Result: 8-8.
NFL Draft Team Grade: B Grade
Goals Entering the 2025 NFL Draft: The Vikings have just four draft picks, so it would be in their best interest to trade down and accumulate more draft capital. Then again, they have a loaded roster without any weaknesses, so it’s not like they need the extra selections.
2025 NFL Draft Accomplishments: Minnesota tried to move down from No. 24, but no one wanted to trade up. The team eventually was able to accumulate an additional draft pick, though it used a resource to trade for Sam Howell.
As far as the actual draft picks are concerned, the Vikings landed Donovan Jackson with their first-round selection. Some would argue that this was too early for Jackson, but the Lions had interest four picks later. Kevin O’Connell asked Jackson, “How would you like to come and create the best offensive line in the NFL?” If Minnesota’s goal was to create the top blocking unit in the NFL this offseason, then it certainly has appeared to have succeeeded.
Of the other four picks, the Vikings had one “A” grade and three grades at “B” or B-. The “A” grade came via Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, a defensive tackle with loads of potential. Defensive tackle seemed to be the one area Minnesota had to address, and it did that spectacularly.
Overall, this is a difficult grade because the Vikings had so few choices. Considering their limitations, they did well.
NFL Draft Individual Grades:
24. Donovan Jackson, G, Ohio State – B Grade
I love what the Vikings have done with their offensive line this offseason. They signed Ryan Kelly and Will Fries, and now they have Donovan Jackson. I like Jackson as a prospect, but thought he could fall to Round 2. I would have chosen one of the safeties, but this is a fine selection.
102. Tai Felton, WR, Maryland – B Grade
Tai Felton is a tall receiver who had surprising speed during his testing drills during the pre-draft process. I had him in the fourth round, and we’re basically in the fourth round with the final pick in the third frame. The Vikings needed receiving depth, so this pick makes sense.
139. Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, DT, Georgia – A Grade
I had the Vikings drafting Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins at this exact pick. So, I think it obviously makes sense. First of all, the Vikings needed defensive tackle help, and Ingram-Dawkins should be able to contribute this year. And second, Ingram-Dawkins has insane upside, so he was one of my favorite third-day projections.
201. Kobe King, LB, Penn State – B Grade
Kobe King makes sense in this range. The Vikings didn’t need a linebacker, but this seems more for special teams.
202. Gavin Bartholomew, TE, Pittsburgh – B- Grade
The Vikings didn’t have too many draft picks, so it’s a surprise to see them draft a tight end. Then again, they had two on the roster, but I thought this was more for UDFA.
Follow me @walterfootball for updates.
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