5 Vikings That Must Answer the Call in 2023
The Minnesota Vikings are entering a bit of a transition period in 2023 where they will have to replace veteran starters with unproven, young players. Coming off a 13-4 season in 2022, it would be a disappointment for the team to take a major step back this year, so the youngsters must step up this fall. Here are 5 Vikings that must answer the call in 2023.
Jordan Addison
The Vikings could have taken a lockdown cornerback prospect such as Deonte Banks or Joey Porter Jr. with their first-round pick this spring, but instead, they added another wide receiver to a group that includes Justin Jefferson and K.J. Osborn.
Considering their need at cornerback, in order for the selection of Addison to truly pay off, he will need to be a very productive player almost immediately. If he can do so, it will be great to have another consistent target playing opposite Justin Jefferson in order to take some pressure off the star receiver.
Brian Asamoah
The Vikings no longer have Eric Kendricks to rely upon as a do-it-all player in the linebacker room, so young Brian Asamoah is going to have to help Jordan Hicks at the position. With Brian Flores at the helm defensively, the duo brings an intriguing blend of size and athleticism to the field, making for a dangerous threat in the blitzing game.
Asamoah got very limited playing time during his rookie season, but when he saw time on the field, the linebacker played very well, including a forced fumble and recovery against the New York Giants on Christmas Eve.
Lewis Cine
The Vikings made Lewis Cine their first-round pick in 2022, but a leg fracture in Week 4 against the New Orleans Saints abruptly ended his rookie season. Even before that, though, the safety saw very infrequent playing time during the regular season, landing near the bottom of the depth chart.
This cannot continue in 2023, particularly considering the rest of the 2022 Draft class wasn’t necessarily impressive during their rookie season. Outside of Ed Ingram, there were a grand total of three starts between the other nine draft selections.
Alexander Mattison
The Minnesota Vikings made the decision to move on from Dalvin Cook this offseason, and they re-signed Alexander Mattison to a two-year contract. As a result, the assumption as of now is that Mattison will take over the starting RB job in Minnesota this year.
Mattison has never surpassed 500 rushing yards in a season throughout his career, so this is going to be a big ask for him to take over as the bell cow back in Minnesota’s offense. However, he has already stated that the running game has been more of an emphasis for the Vikings offense throughout the offseason program.
Garrett Bradbury
2022 was a great building block for Garrett Bradbury, with improved pass protection allowing him to secure a new three-year contract with the Vikings. However, he cannot get complacent now. Despite some improvements from Bradbury last year, Kirk Cousins was still sacked a career-high 46 times during the 2022 season.
With the QB turning 35 this year, that trend cannot continue moving forward. Part of the problem is Cousins getting the ball out of his hands a little quicker, but the protection around him must remain strong in 2023.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.