2019 was an interesting year for the Minnesota Vikings. They came into the season with decent expectations and were expected to compete for the NFC North crown. That did not happen, but they still managed to snag a wild card spot. They finished second in the division behind maybe the worst 13-3 football team ever, Green Bay.

2019 record – 10-6 (Wild Card Round win)

Minnesota Vikings Returning Starters

The Vikings had a somewhat busy offseason following 2019. Some good moves, and some bad. In total, 14 starters from last year’s team are returning – eight offensive and six defensive.

New Additions – Offense

The offensive side of the ball has seen some change, starting with top wide receiver Stefon Diggs getting traded to Buffalo. That left a window wide open for Minnesota to draft a wide receiver in the first round this past spring. They elected to go with reigning national champion, Justin Jefferson. This is a solid pick, but he won’t be filling Diggs’ role. Bisi Johnson will be taking that position.

Offensive guard, Dakota Dozier is the only other addition to the offense. Dozier is hopefully going to stabilize an offensive line that has had a ton of issues in the past. He is only making a cool $1 million this year.

One final addition that isn’t very relevant is Tajae Sharpe. He has been in the league since 2016, but has never made a real impact. The Vikings brought him in to compete for a position at wide receiver, but he will be buried by Thielen, Johnson and Jefferson. The contract is moot as he is only on a one year, $1 million deal.

New Additions – Defense

This once great defense has been depleted. This past offseason, they have lost Trae Waynes, Xavier Rhodes, Everson Griffen and Linval Joseph. They have some players stepping up and filling roles, but one new piece as well.

Eric Wilson will get the starting nod this year as an outside linebacker. This is his fourth year, but he has been with Minnesota the whole time. He is familiar with the team and should plug in well.

Jaleel Johnson will be replacing Linval at nose guard, and I love to see this. As an Iowa fan and Minnesota Vikings fan, Jaleel has held a special spot in my heart for years. He is a solid interior lineman that should fill that void well.

The only true “new” asset to the defense is Yannick Ngakoue. He came via trade at the end of August and will be stepping in for all-time Viking great, Everson Griffen. Ngakoue has 37.5 sacks in four years of service. That is damn good. Pair him with the best, yes I said best, edge rusher in the league in Danielle Hunter, and that defensive line is SCARY good. Hunter has 54.5 sacks in nearly five complete seasons.

Minnesota Vikings Season Outlook

If the Vikings want to get 10 wins in 2020, either Kirk Cousins or Dalvin Cook have to be an MVP candidate all year. It is no secret that Minnesota’s cornerbacks are young and inexperienced. They are going to let up a lot of points. To make up for that, the offense is going to have to be elite, which is a possibility.

The defense’s only hope is that the front seven can wreak havoc and force deep, chuck up throws. If that happens, Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris can handle those deep passes and intercept them.

Luckily, they play in the NFC North, which is usually a crap shoot.

Total Wins

I actually don’t hate their schedule this year. Somehow, they always end up playing Seattle on the road, but Tompa Bay (Yes, I said Tompa) and New Orleans are also on the road. At the end of the day, as long as Minnesota beats the Packers and the Saints, I don’t care. I’ll set their win total at 9-7 this year which gets them a wild card spot.

Fantasy Player to Watch

Dalvin Cook, Kirk Cousins and Adam Thielen are obvious fantasy options. I’m going to provide a sleeper. Irv Smith Jr. is a second year tight end out of Alabama. The Vikings wide receiving core is very ehhh, so I look for them to split out Irv and get the talented, young gun involved in the offense more. The dude is athletic as was made the catch passes. Watch his numbers week one and add him off the waiver wire.

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