The offense is going to be the calling card for the Minnesota Vikings this season. The defense finished 31st in the NFL last season and there is no proof that there will be any improvement.
Pro Football Network’s Arif Hasan ranked every offense in the NFL and ranked the Vikings with the 12th-best unit.
Losing Adam Thielen hurts, but the model considers Jordan Addison an upgrade. The Vikings did not improve their pass protection, but they have an elite pair of tackles and a functional interior. Importantly, the combination of Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson should help the offense compete for a top-10 rank, even if they do end up losing Dalvin Cook.
What is interesting here is the statement that the Vikings didn’t improve their pass protection. I don’t how the model Hasan uses works, but it’s a good bet that Ed Ingram improves significantly from year one to year two.
The Vikings could easily end up higher on the list by the end of the season due to the talent at the most important positions on the unit.