Poll: A Closer-Than-Expected Race for Most Irreplaceable Viking
K. Joudry
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The most recent poll on Vikings Territory and Purple PTSD asked fans, “Which Vikings player is the most irreplaceable for the 2022 season?” The options were Justin Jefferson, Kirk Cousins, Eric Kendricks, and Danielle Hunter. Some will likely conclude that the answer is simple, but it was closer than I anticipated.
Take a look at the results:
- Jefferson – 49.24% (1944 votes)
- Cousins – 41.29% (1630 votes)
- Kendricks – 4.81% (190 votes)
- Hunter – 4.66% (184 votes)
Taken together, Vikings fans sent in 3948 votes. So, we’ve gotten a much larger response than in past iterations of the poll. Obviously, the greater the total votes the greater sense of legitimacy for what Vikings fans are thinking.
Justin Jefferson is, without question, this team’s best player. He is truly elite, someone who is indisputably at the very top of his position. The fact that he’s still only 23 means he likely still has room to improve. Nevertheless, I don’t actually think he ought to be the choice in this one. The Vikings have a lot of talent at receiver. Adam Thielen, when healthy, can be a top-tier WR. K.J. Osborn has shown lots of upside, and I think Ihmir Smith-Marsette can keep developing. None of them are as good as Jefferson, though the team could still have a good receiver group without him.
The QB position, in contrast, doesn’t appear to have a good solution if Kirk Cousins needs to miss time. Last season’s effort against Green Bay – with the playoffs on the line and Cousins on the bench – wasn’t good. Put simply, QB is easily the most important position in football and the team has a fair bit of uncertainty at the backup spot. It’s these realities that cause me to think that Cousins is the team’s most irreplaceable player.
One final thought: Hunter deserves to be higher. True EDGE1 players are hard to come by. They can dramatically change how an offense approaches the defense since they demand so much attention from blockers. Lacking a truly elite pass rusher can really hinder a defense. Bringing Za’Darius Smith to town certainly would lessen the sting if Hunter misses time, but don’t overlook his importance. When healthy, Hunter is this team’s best defensive player.
The new poll – included above – asks fans what the likeliest outcome is when the Packers come to town in Week 1. My belief is that it’ll be a close game, and my hope is that I’m wrong about which teams wins.
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