Minnesota Vikings: Roster rivals Eagles for best in NFL

The Minnesota Vikings have perfected the art of drafting and acquiring talent. Here’s why the roster could be the best in the league in the 2018 season.

Thanks to a nice bit of drafting and some intelligent free agent acquisitions, the Minnesota Vikings’ roster is stacked from top to bottom. Seemingly at every position, there’s depth as far as the eye can see.

But everyone knows it’s one thing to talk and another to walk. The Vikings proved their worth last season after reaching the NFC Championship Game; coincidentally against the Philadelphia Eagles. Led by quarterback Case Keenum, a solid foundation was laid and many are claiming the team has only improved this offseason.

Of course, the addition of Kirk Cousins was the flashiest signing of the offseason. After all, starting quarterbacks at that age don’t just pop out of nowhere.

But the Vikings’ roster was never built on quarterback play. Even though Cousins was signed to finally get them over the hump, general manager Rick Spielman has done an excellent job of drafting talent at multiple positions.

In fact, the Vikings have drafted 10 Pro Bowlers in the past 10 years, good for fifth-most in the NFL during that span. Possibly even more impressive, they’ve drafted a league-high eight Pro Bowlers in the first round during that same period.

Six of those Pro Bowlers reside on the defense, which has been the strong suit of the roster during the past few seasons. Anthony Barr, Linval Joseph, Everson Griffen, Harrison Smith, Xavier Rhodes and the now-retired Chad Greenway all have been given the nod at some point in their respective careers.

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Some may argue the Pro Bowl is a popularity contest, but there’s no arguing about the talent of the players listed above. Factoring in the rest of the defense, Minnesota could have a historical year in 2018.

As stated earlier, the front office has done an outstanding job of drafting talent, specifically at the cornerback position. Rhodes, Trae Waynes, Mackenzie Alexander and Mike Hughes were all high draft choices — likely due to Mike Zimmer’s background as a defensive backs coach (and then defensive coordinator) for many years. Not to mention the signing of ageless wonder Terence Newman.

Factoring in the presence of All-Pro free safety Harrison Smith, the Vikings’ secondary makes it extremely difficult to throw on. Smith earned the highest grade for a safety from Pro Football Focus in 2017 when he recorded a 99.9 overall rating in Week 16 against the Green Bay Packers.

Next to cornerback, the defensive line may claim the most depth on the entire team. A starting lineup of Joseph, Griffen, Danielle Hunter and Sheldon Richardson is unquestionaly a top five D-line in the league.

The Eagles made it very clear of the importance of depth on the defensive line last season, and the Vikings have plenty to spare. Jaleel Johnson, Brian Robison and Stephen Weatherly make for a solid rotation.

The linebacking corps remains a strong suit as well, despite being the weakest positional group on the defense. Barr and Eric Kendricks form a dynamic-duo, and Ben Gedeon looks to be on the up-and-up as well. The front office just paid Kendricks a hefty price tag, however, which may suggest Barr may be on his way out in 2019.

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Moving onto the offense, Cousins leads the way with a very talented receiving unit. 2017 breakout Adam Thielen figures to be the No. 1 receiver, followed by Stefon DIggs as the explosive complement.

Laquon Treadwell, a former first round pick, has looked increasingly disappointing and will have much to prove going into 2018. Minnesota also signed Kendall Wright, a reliable slot man, and still have one of the most well-rounded tight ends in Kyle Rudolph; a position Cousins loves to target.

The running back position is actually gaining talent from last season, as fans merely got a glimpse of what Dalvin Cook is capable of. Factor in Latavius Murray and the Vikings have arguably the best backup runner in the league.

The offensive line, particularly the interior, is unquestionably the biggest weak point on the entire team. Riley Reiff and Mike Remmers looked the part as bookend offensive tackles last season, while center Pat Elflein had an outstanding rookie campaign. Former guard Joe Berger retired this offseason, leaving a partial void at that position.

Left guard Nick Easton was serviceable in 12 games last season before fracturing his right ankle in Week 16. Easton figures to have the upper hand going in 2018. Right guard remains one of the biggest question marks on offense where Tom Compton, another offseason addition, looks to have the edge as the starter there.

It’s not as if the team doesn’t have time either. The front office has carefully crafted the roster in a way that has made re-signing the right players easy. Thanks to consistent drafting and wise management of the salary cap, the team has been able to retain almost every star player.

As ESPN’s Field Yates pointed out, the Vikings have an outstanding core locked in until 2020. They’ve recently extended Kendricks and Hunter‘s contracts, with looming decisions involving Waynes, Barr and Diggs.

But even if the Vikings aren’t able to retain every player, the front office can be counted on to refill those positions in due time. For example, the addition of 2018 first rounder Hughes may be a subtle attempt to show Waynes his time is ticking, while another name to watch out for is undrafted rookie free agent Holton Hill.

The main point is this — Minnesota is arguably the most complete team in the NFL.

Next: NFL Draft 2018: Grades for each first-round pick

Being compared to the defending Super Bowl champs is always a good thing, and the Vikings are in a very similar position to the Eagles. Having retained most of their star-studded players from last season, Philadelphia will be a tough outing for whichever team faces them.

One thing is clear though: if the Vikings perform anywhere near the level of last season, they’re destined for big things. Even if Cousins performs at a B to B- level, the rest of the roster is capable of carrying the load. That’s the advantage of having talent across the board.