The Minnesota Vikings have been pushed out of the top of the division for three seasons in a row now, primarily due to Green Bay becoming a powerhouse.  However, that could all change this season, as the Vikings could be primed to take over the division this season.  From offseason moves to the development of currently rostered players, this could definitely be the case.

In this article, I will be going over three reasons as to why the Vikings could put a stranglehold on the NFC North, and knock the Packers off the top.

Aaron Rodgers Developments

As most of us know by now who follow NFL news, the Rodgers-Packers situation has turned increasingly sour for the majority of the offseason.  From Rodgers supposedly mocking the Packers GM, to the media speculation surrounding it almost every single day, this situation is devolving seriously quickly.  If Rodgers is going to leave the NFC North and go to the AFC, that automatically puts the Packers in a hole as they will not have their MVP and Super Bowl winning QB.

The odds of this happening according to betting lines is pretty high as of now actually, as the Packers are not favorites in many games they should be favorites in, which shows they expect some massive decline, likely for this reason.  Granted, the Packers are not completely in a fish out of water scenario without Rodgers, as Jordan Love could be ready to take the reigns, but if he fails then they are in huge trouble come regular season games.

Exceptionally Strong Draft Class

In my opinion, the Vikings did an absolutely phenomenal job drafting this year both for immediate impact and for the future.  With their 1^st round pick as well as four 3^rd round picks, they made a huge impact in the first half of their draft.  

Starting off with Christian Darrisaw, who many saw going within the top 15 more than likely of the NFL draft.  Being able to pick him up at pick 23 in the first round is absolutely fantastic value, and his presence at the OT spot cannot be overlooked.  Then they picked up Kellen Mond, which honestly makes a lot of sense for the long term.  Bringing in a relatively raw QB prospect to learn behind Kirk Cousins for a few seasons before likely taking over is a great future investment, or if Kirk were to get injured this year specifically having that depth is great news.

Guard Wyatt Davis is another player who could have gone in the first round, however he fell all the way to pick 86 for the Vikings, which is a steal no doubt. Any player with the prestige of Ohio State, especially those in the trenches, are great pickups most of the time.  Finally the Vikings brought in two defensive studs who can most definitely help in one way or another.  Chazz Surratt to fill in one of the linebacker spots when needed, and Patrick Jones II who can either start immediately opposite Danielle Hunter, which would be monstrous, or in place of him if he leaves.

Development of Current Players

Finally, we have their development and the amount of young playmakers they have.  The primary two being Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook, Jefferson being a sophomore this coming season and Dalvin Cook only being 25.  Both of these players have had absolutely massive impacts on the team, Jefferson being the runner up for OROY and Dalvin Cook being one of the top backs in the league.

With another year to develop Jefferson and giving him true rookie training camps, he should turn out to be even more effective in the league, potentially breaking out to be one of the top receivers in the game.  As well as Dalvin Cook, who on his current trajectory is already a top player in the league before the true RB prime ages of about 27-29 normally.  

The post Why Minnesota can take over the division for the first time since 2017 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

What is the player outlook of Justin Jefferson?

By: EJ Daniels

Justin Jefferson had a historical rookie campaign. Breaking Randy Moss’ rookie team record for receiving yards (1400 yds.) and also breaking the NFL mark held by Anquan Boldin. When the Vikings drafted Jefferson many touted him as Stefon’ Diggs replacement, but the performance that Jefferson displayed made teams around the league view him as a legit number one option.

Week 3 against the Titans was the first time Jefferson put the griddy into the eyesight of NFL fans. Going for nine catches one hundred and seventy-five yards and a TD, he displayed elite WR traits by beating the Titans CBs consistently and also taking a deep pass 71 yards for a TD. The most encouraging part of that performance was how often he was able to beat man coverage. Displaying a full arsenal of moves to create separation; from the sudden tempo changes of his footwork on slant routes to using great body control and hands to win in back shoulder contested catch situations. As a result, the Vikings fed him the ball and Justin Jefferson finished as PFF’s second highest graded WR (90.4)

As mind blowing as Jefferson’s season was, you have to ask what makes him this good, this quickly?  The answer lies in his elite physical traits and his attention to the fine details of playing WR. Justin Jefferson has the uncanny mix of being as quick as he is fast. His first step on releases is elite and his footwork is very refined for a rookie. Where he takes his footwork to the next level is being able to manipulate the tempo and speed of his feet in relation to his route. His slant routes are masterpieces, as he can use quicker faster steps to create separation or use a one-foot hop to slow down the tempo of the route, emphasizing his quickness to be more sudden in fewer steps. The most consistent physical trait that is seen on tape while running his routes, and honestly the most important is the fluidity of his hips. The toughest thing for WRs to do is maintain speed and acceleration in and out of breaks. Jefferson shows excellent separation quickness on out breaking routes by quickly flipping his hips and not adding any wasted steps. The refinement of his routes can be best displayed on the comeback route he ran against Kyle Fuller in week 16.

The hip fluidity is displayed at the top of the route by quickly and violently dropping hips to get out of that break in a quick 2 steps which allowed him to come out the route downhill, under control, towards the sideline creating separation and making the catch. These rare traits made it increasingly tough to cover Jefferson and was indicative by him finishing as PFF’s 3^rd highest graded receiver in single coverage (94.0 3^rd among all WRs)

Justin Jefferson was a top three WR in his rookie year and had the numbers to prove it. His 90.5 PFF receiving grade was the highest in the last 10 season and the second best mark by a rookie all time set by Odell Beckham in 2015 (91.2). As we take a closer look, Jefferson added value in where he lined up. With 70% of his receiving snaps and 65% of his yards coming on the outside. Perhaps, his ability to consistently alter down and distance propelled him to be PFF’s fifth most valuable WR. With 68% of yards coming in the 10-20+ yard ranges Jefferson was an explosive play waiting to happen. Catching the third most explosive receptions of 15 yards or more (35), generating the most yards per target (13.2) and totaling the fourth most yards per reception (15.9). Jefferson’ quickness and explosiveness was most evident on what did after the catch. Gaining the eight most yards after the catch (450) and forcing the tenth most missed tackles among WRs

Prognosticating his performance going forward, all signs point up. Dominating like Jefferson did from the outside makes him so valuable. Where he becomes invaluable is his ability to be productive from every level of the football field. Indicative of his YAC numbers on shorter throws and with the majority of his production coming 10+ yards down the field. The best WRs in the NFL can alter down and distance on a given play and more importantly beat man coverage consistently. Receiving grade against man coverage is one of the most stable metrics for WRs year to year. With Jefferson’ ability to consistently create separation in a variety of ways because of his relentless detail to route running and the combination of quickness, acceleration, and explosiveness expect him to be one of the top separators year to year. These traits also help him add value after the catch. YAC/REC is also a stable metric for WRs year to year and the fact that Justin Jefferson adds value to every reception will put him among the league’s best.

Justin Jefferson recorded the greatest rookie season in the last 10 years. Getting Viking fans excited for what the future prospects of the offense can be. One of the things that is overlooked in Justin Jefferson’s season is that the Vikings threw the sixth-fewest passes in the league (516) this year and also didn’t feature Jefferson until week 3. While he had over 100+ targets you have to think of what his numbers could’ve been if the Viking were to adopt a pass-first mentality? With a plethora of receiving weapons the Vikings have at their disposal, they may want to at least explore a philosophy change that’s more pass-heavy to utilize their offense more efficiently. Subsequently, letting Justin Jefferson griddy all over the field as the WR 1 they drafted him to be.     

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