2019 NFL Power Rankings: Who heads into summer at No. 1?
By Ian Cummings
No. 10 – Minnesota Vikings
For the Vikings, this ranking is out of necessity; Mike Zimmer is coaching for his job in 2019, and the team is playing to preserve its NFL contention window that appears to be closing. The pieces have lined up for another run in 2019; most of them were already in-house to begin with. But some key figures in the Vikings’ organization need to bounce back to make it happen.
The first, and most obvious name on the list, is starting quarterback Kirk Cousins, who famously signed a deal with the Vikings for $93 million guaranteed over three years. Cousins started off the 2019 season on a high note, and at his best, he could contend for the ranks of the elite. But Cousins’ inconsistency against pressure was both his and the offense’s undoing, and that ceiling cast a shadow over Cousins’ best throws.
The Vikings expectedly invested heavily into their offensive line in the 2019 offseason, adding sturdy veteran Josh Kline in free agency and athletic interior linemen Garrett Bradbury and Dru Samia in the NFL Draft. Bradbury, in particular, is a stud who should help alleviate the team’s line woes, while Samia has the potential to contribute down the road. At tackle, the Vikings have more uncertainty, but Brian O’Neill has the athletic profile to start and flourish opposite Reilly Reiff, if he continues to develop.
For the Vikings’ sake, these offensive line fixes need to work, because the defense is still very much a threat, and very much a crutch for the offense. Linval Joseph, Everson Griffen, and Danielle Hunter capitalize a fierce line, and Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks, and Ben Gedeon form a solid linebacking core. In the secondary, the Vikings have immense cornerback depth with Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, Mike Hughes, and Mackensie Alexander, and Harrison Smith should continue to be a game changer at safety.
For Minnesota, it comes down to offense. All the talent is there to succeed, and there’s hope that Kevin Stefanski can cook up more shock plays. But ultimately, Kirk Cousins has to stay clean for any of those plays to happen consistently. If the line fixes work as intended, then the Vikings’ offense can live up to its price tag.