Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
We are just about to the end of the boring part of the summer for offseason football news. Until training camps open later this month though, we’ll need to sit threw a bit more of the boring news cycle. Once the Minnesota Vikings report, the excitement with new quarterback J.J. McCarthy should be through the roof.
Last season Sam Darnold was inserted as the starter and Kevin O’Connell positioned him with offensive talent to reel off 14 wins. It got Darnold paid by the Seattle Seahawks, and it’s why there should be a substantial level of optimism for McCarthy’s success as well.
Despite the level of talent on the offensive side of the ball for Minnesota, one insider is willing to argue against them being a top five unit.
Bill Barnwell stops short on MN Vikings offensive weapons
Few NFL insiders are more well-known than ESPN’s Bill Barnwell. He published a ranking of all 32 NFL teams based solely on their offensive weapons. That is, the wide receivers, running backs, and tight ends. Barnwell outlined the process as a valuation of 2025 performance, taking into account injury and suspension history, as well as weighting wide receivers the heaviest.
The Minnesota Vikings landed sixth, one spot behind where Barnwell had them last season.
“A true superstar receiver goes a long way, as Justin Jefferson is one of the two best wideouts in the game alongside Ja’Marr Chase. The Vikings star combines elite volume with efficiency (2.6 yards per route run), and while he benefits from a coach in Kevin O’Connell who does a great job of creating opportunities and space, Jefferson hasn’t exactly had Joe Burrow at quarterback in Minnesota. Jefferson is a Hall of Fame-caliber talent and 26 years old.
The players around him might not be as sturdy as they seemed a year ago. Jordan Addison averaged 1.8 yards per route run in his second season, but there’s a distinct possibility the 23-year-old will be suspended for part of the 2025 season after he’s tried on DUI charges this month. T.J. Hockenson is healthy after missing part of the 2024 season while recovering from a torn ACL, but the former Lions first-rounder didn’t score a touchdown and saw his efficiency retreat to where it had been with Detroit (1.7 YPRR) versus where it stood in Minnesota before the injury in 2023 (2.0).
Aaron Jones Sr. racked up 1,546 yards from scrimmage in his debut season with the Vikings, but he wasn’t great near the goal line and fumbled five times, including a midseason stretch with four fumbles across seven quarters. The Vikings have suggested they want to ease the burden on Jones by giving meaningful work to Jordan Mason, who was acquired from the 49ers this offseason. Mason was wildly efficient in San Francisco, but that team is running back heaven, and he also fumbled three times on 164 touches in 2024. I’d expect this offense to keep humming, but a lot of the players around Jefferson have something to prove.”
Bill Barnwell – ESPN
Barwell does do a great job of outlining where he thinks the Vikings have warts. It’s fair to be concerned about Jordan Addison’s possible suspension, and Minnesota doesn’t have a great upside play at WR3 unless Tai Felton or someone else overtakes Jalen Nailor.
It’s also fair to criticize Hockenson for his slide, or be leary of Aaron Jones repeating his yardage performance last season. That said, those two may benefit most from a young quarterback behind a revamped offensive line, and the addition of Jordan Mason lessening the load.
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In total, with the weight applied to Jefferson and room for growth from Addison, Hockenson, and Mason, the Vikings being outside the top five seems like a stretch.
Who has better playmakers than the Minnesota Vikings?
While it’s an issue for me to see the MN Vikings outside of the top five, it’s more peculiar when looking at which teams are ahead of them. I have now qualms about the Philadelphia Eagles being number one. Los Angeles (5), San Francisco (4), Cincinnati (3), and Detroit (2) all seem arguable though.
The Rams do not have the tight end strength that Hockenson and Josh Oliver represent. Brandon Aiyuk doesn’t clear Addison as a top threat and Christian McCaffrey is always hurt. Cincinnati doesn’t have the running back room or tight end talent. Detroit put up points in bunches last season, but still need to substantiate that it’s real without Ben Johnson pulling the strings.
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Of course there’s a certain level of homerism when it comes to the pushback, but Minnesota’s talent on paper is as good or better than all of those teams. At the end of the day they still possess an elite group of playmakers. Kevin O’Connell should have plenty of ability to let them work with a new offensive line that will give McCarthy a chance.
Revisiting these rankings after the season, and seeing where the Minnesota Vikings check in next year, will be worth keeping tabs on.
Mentioned in this article: aaron jones Bill Barnwell Jordan Addison Jordan Mason Justin Jefferson T.J. Hockenson More About:Minnesota Vikings