Insider Tabs MN Vikings Position Group as a Unit to Watch

This season the Minnesota Vikings have a relatively wide net of potential outcomes. Kevin O’Connell’s team is coming off a 14-win season, and they let Sam Darnold go get paid elsewhere this offseason.

O’Connell believes in first-year starter J.J. McCarthy at quarterback. How much he winds up being right will largely determine the success of the team as a whole.

Brian Flores has arguably the best defensive front seven Minnesota may have ever seen. That could also take pressure away from the offense. In football though, it always comes back to one position.

Quarterback will determine Minnesota Vikings fate

There are multiple spots on the roster where the MN Vikings should stand out above the competition. To what level their quarterback room competes rests entirely on the shoulders of J.J. McCarthy. ESPN senior writer Mike Clay has their quarterback room ranked 27th overall, but calls them a “unit to watch.”

Other than perhaps the Steelers, no team with a new starting QB has as much on the line as the Vikings in 2025. With a revived Sam Darnold under center in 2024, Minnesota was one of the league’s best teams, posting a 14-3 regular-season record. The core of the team remains in place, which puts pressure on 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy to play at a high level or at least not mess things up.

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If McCarthy winds up being the same winner he was at Michigan (leaving after a National Championship) and in high school, then the Vikings will be in a great spot. That’s a lot to ask out of the gate, and especially while removing his second-best wide receiver for three games.

Then again, betting against a guy who has done nothing but win may not be the best plan of attack. Sure, the Wolverines ran the ball really well. The MN Vikings added Jordan Mason to their running back room and spent heavily on the offensive line.

That gives McCarthy a chance to have a strong running game with the Vikings. While that it something of a deviation for O’Connell, the passing game won’t be overlooked either. Justin Jefferson is still the best wide receiver in the league, and T.J. Hockenson can be an elite intermediate target.

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It’s fun to think about Max Brosmer ascending to QB2 status for O’Connell, but the position as a whole will be a reflection of McCarthy and his success. If he can turn a “unit to watch” into one that should be feared, look out.

What about the rest of the Vikings roster?

Although quarterback is the most important and impactful position on a football field, there are multiple other position groups that drive a team to success. Here’s where Clay ranked the rest of the roster.

Clay came up with the Baltimore Ravens having the best roster in the NFL. That’s certainly a defensible stance. Minnesota is well-represented in multiple position groups.

It’s still difficult to think a tandem of Jefferson and Addison don’t rank among the top two or three wide receiver groups in the league. Jalen Nailor leaves something to be desired, but they could upgrade there as well. I’m definitely not putting Tampa Bay or Los Angeles ahead of Minnesota as Clay did.

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The cornerback position still concerns me for a roster built to win now. The Vikings have a ton of faith in Jeff Okudah. We’ll find out if that’s misplaced pretty quickly.

Overall, as a team just outside the top five across the entire league, this collection should be both good and exciting to watch. Minnesota is next in action on Saturday against the New England Patriots.