The NFL’s regular season is coming down the stretch run, which means it’s time to start thinking about the postseason and the Pro Bowl. Voting for the Pro Bowl has opened up, and it’s your time as fans to let your voice be heard. This is your chance to tell the league – and the world – who you think the best players of the 2023 NFL season have been, and there are several Minnesota Vikings players who are worthy of the trip to Orlando.
This season has been a rollercoaster for the Vikings and their fans. The season started off about as bad as it could be, with the Vikings dropping each of their first three games, and four of their first five, with turnovers abound in each game. Then they recovered to win their next five games – but lost both their star wide receiver and starting quarterback in the process.
Now the Vikings are in the midst of a two-game losing streak and have gone into their bye week with significant questions at the quarterback spot. How they finish out the season will likely have some bearing on how the Pro Bowl voting turns out, but they have a number of players who are deserving of the spot regardless of how successful Minnesota is from here on out.
I have not included Justin Jefferson in this list due to the injury and extended amount of time missed, but name recognition alone may get him a nod. Now, let’s dive into the names!
OLB Danielle Hunter
This one is an easy one. Hunter has been a one-man wrecking crew all season for the Vikings. He’s currently leading the NFC in sacks and is only behind Khalil Mack and T.J. Watt for the lead in the entire league.
Hunter and the pressure he’s been able to put on the opposing quarterback has been an integral part of the Brian Flores defensive scheme and has allowed the Vikings to stay in games they had no business being in with the turnover issues the offense has had.
The Vikings are going to have a critical decision with Hunter in the offseason and whether or not they can bring him back on a long-term deal. But that’s a problem for a different day. For today, he is a clear-cut Pro Bowl-caliber defender.
TE T.J. Hockenson
Since coming to the Vikings in the middle of last season, T.J. Hockenson has not only been one of the best tight ends in the NFL, he’s been one of the best receiving threats in the league regardless of position.
George Kittle and Travis Kelce get all the headlines at the position, and deservedly so, but Hockenson’s play over the past couple of seasons has been right on par with them. That is no different this season.
As it stands today, Hockenson leads all tight ends in receptions, is behind only Kelce in yards at the position, and trails only Sam LaPorta and Mark Andrews for touchdowns. Hockenson has been a pivotal part of the Vikings offense, and has been a critical safety valve for quarterback Josh Dobbs as he’s been integrated into the offense.
LS Andrew DePaola
We’re going to keep this one short and sweet. Long snapper is a position that is largely reputation-based – even more so than the skill positions are a popularity contest. DePaola hasn’t had any major gaffes this season, and he’s the reigning first-team All-Pro long snapper. That should be enough to get him to Orlando.
LT Christian Darrisaw
A lot has been made over the season about the performance of the Vikings offensive line. Depending on who you listen to, they’re either one of the worst units in the league, or have been pretty solid overall and have gotten more hate than they deserve.
The truth is likely somewhere in the middle. But no matter which side of the argument you fall on, it’s undeniable that Christian Darrisaw has been the best of the group.
Darrisaw has been one of the top offensive tackles in the league this year according to PFF grades, coming in tied for the third-best tackle, with New England’s Trent Brown, with an overall grade of 85. Darrisaw is second among tackles in Pass Block grade, trailing only Dallas Cowboys tackle Tyron Smith.
He’s a little further down the list in PFF’s run blocking grade, but still has a top-10 ranking with his 79.3. Those performances should be enough to give Darrisaw his first Pro Bowl selection of his career.
CB Byron Murphy Jr.
The unquestioned catalyst for the Vikings saving their season has been the performance of the defense. The scheme that Flores has been able to dial up has confounded offenses all season, and has been the reason Minnesota has been able to be in some of the games they have been.
Without the defense playing as well as it has, this team is likely competing for the first pick in the 2024 NFL draft rather than a playoff spot. The pressure that Hunter and crew have been able to get has been a major factor for the defense, but so has the performance of the guys on the back end.
That starts with Byron Murphy Jr. Murphy has been the Vikings best cover corner this season, and has been near the top of the league in performance. He’s currently seventh in the league in passes defended with 13 and tied for eighth in the league with three interceptions.
S Camryn Bynum
Camryn Bynum may not have the stats of his cohort Murphy, but he has been just as vital to the success of the Vikings defense this season – if not even more so. Bynum has been one of the top-performing safeties in the league this season, even outshining his teammate and future Hall of Famer Harrison Smith.
Bynum has been key in allowing Flores to be as aggressive with the Vikings defense as he has been all season. You can’t blitz to the levels Flores has if you don’t trust the coverage on the back end, and Bynum has been key in that trust.
Bynum is the fifth-ranked safety in the league by PFF grade, trailing only some titans of the position in Jevon Holland, Antoine Winfield II, Jesse Bates III, and Jabrill Peppers.
Bynum has also achieved the seventh-best coverage grade from PFF this season and a top-15 run defense grade, proving Bynum is one of the best at his position in all facets of the game. Certainly worthy of his first Pro Bowl selection.
S Josh Metellus
One of the defining features of a Flores-led defense is having a defender who can be used all over the field. A chess piece who can fit multiple roles and excel at all of them. With the Dolphins and Steelers, that piece was Minkah Fitzpatrick. With the Vikings this season, it has been Josh Metellus.
Metellus is having a career year in his fourth season with the Vikings. Metellus has been given a starting role for the first time in his career, and he’s rewarded Flores’ faith in him in a big way. He’s excelled at all levels of the defense, causing big plays and crucial turnovers. He’s been solid in coverage, and he plays a key role on special teams to boot.
While he doesn’t rank at the top of the position in PFF grades in any one category, he’s been incredibly consistent across the board, logging a grade of at least 70 in overall defense, rush defense, and pass rush grades. He’s playing the best football of his career this season, and he deserves to cap it off with his first trip to the Pro Bowl.
