With the first weekend of the 2023 NFL playoffs now complete, we are looking back on the season that was for the Minnesota Vikings.
Despite a 7-10 record, the Vikings played well during the 2023 season. The defense improved from 31st in the National Football League to 16th in a very impressive turnaround. The scoring defense also improved to 13th in the NFL, which would have easily been top 10 in the league if it weren’t for the unit imploding at the end of the season.
There is a lot of hope for the future, as the unit was overall really good despite having a talent void.
The final grades from Pro Football Focus are in and reflect a unit that played well despite their late-season struggles.
Top 10 overall grades
- OLB Danielle Hunter: 78.0
- ILB Ivan Pace Jr.: 77.2
- ILB Jordan Hicks: 74.5
- S Camryn Bynum: 73.2
- CB Mekhi Blackmon: 71.1
- ILB Anthony Barr: 70.6
- S Josh Metellus: 70.1
- CB Andrew Booth Jr.: 68.6
- S Harrison Smith: 67.9
- S Jay Ward: 67.8
Bottom 10 overall grades
- OLB Pat Jones II: 37.9
- ILB Brian Asamoah II: 38.3
- CB Jaylin Williams: 38.6
- DE Jonathan Bullard: 46.4
- DE Dean Lowry: 47.4
- CB Joejuan Williams: 49.4
- OLB Andre Carter II: 54.0
- CB Akayleb Evans: 55.0
- OLB Marcus Davenport: 55.4
- NT T.J. Smith: 55.8
Top 10 run defense grades
- S Camryn Bynum: 79.2
- ILB Jordan Hicks: 74.2
- OLB D.J. Wonnum: 68.6
- S Josh Metellus: 67.8
- OLB Andre Carter II: 67.1
- S Harrison Smith: 66.3
- NT Harrison Phillips: 65.6
- CB Jaylin Williams: 65.2
- CB Byron Murphy Jr.: 65.2
- CB Mekhi Blackmon: 64.0
Bottom 10 run defense grades
- ILB Brian Asamoah II: 27.6
- OLB Pat Jones II: 39.8
- S Theo Jackson: 47.3
- OLB Danielle Hunter: 51.7
- OLB Marcus Davenport: 52.3
- DE Dean Lowry: 53.1
- DE Jonathan Bullard: 53.8
- ILB Troy Dye: 57.7
- NT Khyiris Tonga: 58.1
- Cb Andrew Booth Jr.: 59.8
Top 10 pass rush grades
- OLB Danielle Hunter: 79.1
- ILB Ivan Pace Jr.: 78.0
- S Josh Metellus: 75.3
- NT Khyiris Tonga: 70.4
- ILB Brian Asamoah II: 68.3
- S Theo Jackson: 65.0
- ILB Jordan Hicks: 64.0
- CB Akayleb Evans: 62.9
- OLB Marcus Davenport: 60.1
- CB Mekhi Blackmon: 60.0
Bottom 10 pass rush grades
- OLB Pat Jones II: 46.2
- DE Jonathan Bullard: 46.9
- CB Byron Murphy Jr.: 48.4
- OLB Andre Carter II: 48.9
- NT T.J. Smith: 50.8
- ILB Anthony Barr: 52.8
- NT Harrison Phillips: 53.6
- DE Dean Lowry: 53.6
- NT Sheldon Day: 54.2
- S Jay Ward: 54.6
Top 10 coverage grades
- ILB Anthony Barr: 82.5
- ILB Ivan Pace Jr.: 77.7
- OLB Danielle Hunter: 75.0
- S Jay Ward: 74.7
- ILB Brian Asamoah II: 72.5
- CB Mekhi Blackmon: 71.7
- NT Khyiris Tonga: 71.6
- ILB Jordan Hicks: 70.1
- S Camryn Bynum: 69.7
- S Theo Jackson: 69.2
Bottom 10 coverage grades
- CB Jaylin Williams: 31.8
- CB Joejuan Williams: 47.3
- CB Akayleb Evans: 52.5
- OLB Pat Jones II: 52.9
- OLB D.J. Wonnum: 53.4
- OLB Marcus Davenport: 53.4
- DE Dean Lowry: 55.0
- NT Harrison Phillips: 56.2
- DE Jaquelin Roy: 56.8
- CB Byron Murphy Jr.: 58.2
