ESPN Gives Young Vikings the Cold Shoulder
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was hired in 2022, inheriting an aging roster. Too many of the previous drafts didn’t provide enough young talent to keep the team in Super Bowl contention. His first draft wasn’t any better, with Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth disappointing through two seasons. The following two drafts, however, brought some exciting talent to Minnesota.
ESPN Gives Young Vikings the Cold Shoulder
Ivan Pace and Jordan Addison played significant roles in their debut seasons, and the sky is the limit for the duo. The 2024 draft class included J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner, two promising players with the talent to become longtime players for the organization.
Still, that apparently hasn’t been enough to re-fill the roster with enough young pieces, says ESPN’s Aaron Schatz. The writer published a ranking of all 32 NFL teams in order based on their players under the age of 25. Minnesota is listed 24th.
The 22-year-old Addison had a great rookie year with 911 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. McCarthy, the franchise quarterback in waiting, will likely play during his rookie year. So will edge rusher Dallas Turner, also chosen in the first round.
The only other player who qualifies for this list and started more than one game for last year’s Vikings is linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. He was a surprise undrafted star with 2.5 sacks, one interception and 102 tackles.
Aaron Schatz, ESPN
The problem with his (reasonable) cutoff for this franchise is clear. Justin Jefferson and Christian Darrisaw, two of the best players in the league, just turned 25. With them included, the unit would undoubtedly skyrocket. Also no longer listed is right guard Ed Ingram, who’s become a solid starter.
Mekhi Blackmon, the team’s backup cornerback who might claim a bigger role in the upcoming season, is, you guessed it, 25. 2023 breakout defender Camryn Bynum is 25, and Josh Metellus is 26, just like top cornerback Byron Murphy.
Players aged 25 might no longer count as “young,” but they can still play a decade of decent football, which is why Minnesota’s group is not alarmingly old.
Addison, Jefferson, and tight end Hockenson are all under team control through at least the 2027 season. If he pans out, McCarthy can throw them the ball in all of those years with Turner, Pace, and the three previously mentioned defensive backs handling the defensive side of the ball.
It should also be noted that three of the four youngest players (Dwight McGlothern is a few days younger than Addison) are deemed longtime contributors: Addison, Turner, and McCarthy. The last three first-rounders joined the club at age 21.
The young talent, or lack thereof, was surely an issue a couple of years ago, but it no longer is. Adofo-Mensah and his staff have emphasized adding talent in the draft and younger players in free agency.
The organization might not look great on this specific scale with these specific parameters, but the future is not as bleak as Schatz suggested with his rankings.
Minnesota’s training camp begins in less than three weeks, and more young players hope to show that they can make an impact in 2024 and beyond.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt