Plundering the NFL’s All Pro Team for 5 Pending Free Agents
K. Joudry
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The Vikings are working overtime to set themselves up for a productive free agency. After all, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said he’s working toward a “big offseason” while Kevin O’Connell said they’ll be looking to “add pieces” on defense.
Expect them to leave no stone unturned when it comes to improving the roster talent. One of the major stones, so to speak, is the NFL’s All Pro team (both the first and second).
As an organization, the Minnesota Vikings were probably a little disappointed to see that specialist Andrew DePaola was the lone representative. He made it as the second-team long snapper. T.J. Hockenson and Danielle Hunter both had strong cases, but neither got the nod. And while the Vikings will be hoping that their internal talent can perform well enough to get on next year’s team, the possiblity exists to snag one or two of the players who are heading toward free agency.
Plundering the NFL’s All Pro Team for 5 Pending Free Agents
1) Justin Madubuike, Defensive Tackle, Second Team
Minnesota could have scooped him up in the draft, but Rick Spielman instead opted to snag Ezra Cleveland. That decision didn’t age particularly well.
He finished off the 2023 season as a second-team All Pro and a quick look at his statistics will tell you why. He piled up 13 sacks alongside a stunning 33 QB hits. The 26-year-old defensive tackle thus finished 9th in sacks and in a tie for 3rd in QB hits. The Vikings haven’t had an interior defensive lineman like him since the days of Kevin Williams.
2) Patrick Queen, Linebacker, Second Team
The front seven needs to be overhauled.
Ivan Pace is locking down a starting spot going into 2024 but basically every other spot has some uncertainty. Folks, I’m not being hyperbolic. Danielle Hunter is scheduled to hit free agency (and so too is D.J. Wonnum, Marcus Davenport, Jonathan Bullard, Jordan Hicks, and others from within the front seven). Returners like Harrison Phillips, Patrick Jones, and Dean Lowry aren’t a lock to stick around once the cuts take place. So, new talent needs to be a priority.
Like his Ravens counterpart, Mr. Queen was a second-team All Pro. He chosen 28th overall back in 2020 and is still only 24. He has been a frequent blitzer over these past four seasons, hitting a high of 86 as a rookie but never dipping below 46 in a single season. How does a linebacker twosome of Queen and Pace sound? The Flores blitzes would be must-see TV.
3) Jaylon Johnson, Corner, Second Team
Steal from Chicago to boost Minnesota. Or, at least, give it your best effort. The real concern with Johnson is simply that he’s likely to get the franchise tag. If not, he’ll be getting a ton of interest on the open market.
He’s a 24-year-old CB1 who would create a domino effect within the secondary that would pay instant dividends. Byron Murphy could become the CB2 who’s also the slot specialist. Mekhi Blackmon and Akayleb Evans could compete for the CB3 job, hopefully prompting each player to reach his full potential.
Last season, Johnson only allowed 55.2% of passes into his coverage to be completed. Those catches went for an average of 8.7 yards and QBs combined to have a 50.9 pass rating when targeting him. Elite numbers.
He was a second-team All Pro.
4) Antoine Winfield Jr., Safety, First Team
The son of the Vikings’ legendary CB is entering free agency at 25 after just hitting the AP1 team. Not bad.
He put together some marvellous production in 2023, finishing his season with 122 tackles, 6 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 12 passes defended, and 3 interceptions. He did all of this while playing in a career high of 1,100 snaps, which is to say nothing of helping Tampa Bay move into the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
For the most part, Winfield was a free safety, picking up 711 snaps in that spot. He did, however, play 235 snaps in the box and 146 snaps in the slot. The simple fact that he was able to pick up so many sacks while being deep so often is pretty stunning.
5) Mike Evans, Receiver, Second Team
Had to get at least one offensive player in there, right?
Before long, Mike Evans will be in the NFL Hall of Fame. At no point in his ten-year career has he dipped below 1,000 receiving yards. His latest season featured 79 receptions, 1,255 yards, and 13 touchdowns. The 15.9 yards-per-catch average is super impressive, especially since he’s 30.
Minnesota’s receiver group is young, talented, and small. The theory with Mr. Evans is that Minnesota would welcome some veteran size. Can you imagine Minnesota’s 11 personnel if they somehow snag Evans? Good luck matching up with Jefferson, Addison, Evans, and Hockenson. That cluster of talent would inspire a pile of sleepless nights for defensive coordinators.
Mike Evans is 6’5″, 231. His entire career has been in Tampa Bay.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.