Countdown to Kickoff: Minnesota Vikings No. 54 Eric Kendricks

From a 2015 second round pick to leading the team in tackles, Minnesota Vikings middle linebacker, Eric Kendricks, may be the next best thing coming out of the NFC North.

The 2015 NFC North Divisional Champs finally make their debut as the countdown to kickoff continues here at NFLSpinZone.com.

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It is Day 54 and counting until the Thursday night opener with both Super Bowl teams of last year, the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos, competing in Denver.

The Minnesota Vikings open the season on the road versus Marcus Mariota and the Tennessee Titans. Minnesota holds a career eight wins to four losses in their head-to-head match-ups, dating back to when the Titans were the Houston Oilers.

A new season brings upon new beginnings; for rookies, recent free agents, aging veterans, and stop-gap players alike, some players will fade off into oblivion while others will take that next step to super stardom.

The next defensive play-maker for the Minnesota Vikings? Eric Kendricks.

Not a known name if one doesn’t follow the purple and gold up in the Twin Cities, Kendricks demands attention in his second season starting as middle linebacker for Mike Zimmer’s improving defense.

When you think of the Vikings’ defense you think of their ball-hawk of a safety in Harrison Smith, the dynamic ability of Anthony Barr and Everson Griffen; and the monsters in the middle in Linval Joseph and Sharif Floyd. The fact of the matter is, Erick Kendricks led this team full of talent in tackles and was the first Viking since 1961 to lead the team in tackles as a rookie, per Vikings.com Lindsey Young.

To put that in perspective, 1961 was the Minnesota Vikings’ rookie season as an organization in the NFL. Their second round pick that year, Rip Hawkins, was the only Viking to accomplish this feat. Eric Kendricks in his first season has already roamed uncharted territory, with many great things to come.

The second round pick out of UCLA racked up a combined 105 tackles in only 14 games, in which he started 11 of those. Battling a case of injuries towards the middle of the season, but finished the season strong against the Green Bay Packers to help seal up a division title with nine total tackles and two QB hurries.

Two of the largest knocks coming out of college for Kendricks was his ability to rush the passer, and his size to handle big interior offensive lineman in the trenches. He proved that neither were an obstacle in his first season.

Kendricks tallied four sacks on the season with nine quarterback hurries, not to mention his 11 tackles for loss on the year as well.

In a division where former middle linebackers used to dominate the headlines, very few remain with Clay Matthews being the most recognizable linebacker in the division. Chicago brought in a few formidable ones, the Lions just recently released their fearsome leader in the middle in Stephen Tulloch, all the while Minnesota continues to groom their linebacker core in hopes to sprout stars in Kendricks and Barr.

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Health remains the largest hurdle for these two UCLA products as they continue their careers in the NFL. Both Barr and Kendricks have all the potential in the world to become All-Pro players, but will they be? My boastful answer is yes. The Minnesota Vikings have bold aspirations in their future, thinking any less of their players that guided them to a previous 11-5 record put bluntly would be just foolish.