Janik Eckardt’s Vikings Predictions for 2025
The season is here, and the Minnesota Vikings will start their 17-game slate on the road, against the Chicago Bears. After a 14-3 season, the front office has invested some more money to build a strong football team on paper, but it remains to be seen how well that translates.
Janik Eckardt’s Vikings Predictions for 2025
Here are some predictions for the upcoming season.
1. Jeff Okudah is not bad and not great.
The Vikings have had bad cornerback play for half a decade, and they haven’t made the big-time investments to fix it under this regime. Byron Murphy Jr. is a Pro Bowler, and there’s certainly some potential to unlock with Isaiah Rodgers, but handing the CB3 spot to Jeff Okudah has drawn some concerns.
Okudah, once a promising draft prospect with a third-overall pick pedigree, has yet to turn in an average season. Injuries and on-field struggles have piled up over the years. He won’t be terrible, but Brian Flores will also fail to magically find the Pro Bowl talent.
There is no evidence of any crazy, untapped potential.
2. J.J. McCarthy will toss 25 touchdowns.
This one is more detailed. Sam Darnold just had a 35-touchdown season. Now we subtract a few because McCarthy is a first-year starter and because the overhauled offensive line and Jordan Mason’s presence can help get the ball into the end zone.
McCarthy will look like a sharp rookie. There will be so-called rookie mistakes, and he won’t always get it done, but he’ll look promising enough to be encouraged about the future, and he is good enough to keep the squad in playoff contention. There will also be some rushing touchdowns added to that total.
3. T.J. Hockenson cracks 1,000 yards.
Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson was close to eclipsing 1,000 yards in 2023. He had 960 when Kerby Joseph knocked him out for the remainder of the season, which included a couple of more games. This time, he’ll get there.
Tight ends are a young passer’s best friend, and Hockenson has already earned the trust of McCarthy as a frequent target in training camp.
4. Big trade at the deadline.
Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah acquired Hockenson at the deadline in 2022. He also made moves for Cam Akers (twice), Joshua Dobbs, and Cam Robinson, who all arrived via trade during the season.
This time, the Vikings feel like they are not that far away and trade for a potential final piece. Who could that be? Maybe cornerback Riq Woolen, who’s in the final season of his rookie contract with the Seahawks. Adding a corner who could help in 2025 but also in years to come makes sense.
5. One Viking leads the league in something.
I’ll keep this one a little vague to make it more realistic than the usual rah-rah style prediction that Justin Jefferson will lead the league in receiving yards.
Phrasing it like this helps us include Jefferson, but also Jonathan Greenard, who’s one of the league’s better sack artists. Blake Cashman might rack up a bunch of tackles, and Jordan Mason could find the end zone a couple of times. Byron Murphy Jr. had six interceptions last year.
6. Vikings crush two devils.
Kevin O’Connell was hired in the 2022 offseason. He defeated the Detroit Lions in his first matchup with them, but the Lions have won the last five. His operation will overcome that nemesis at least one time in 2025.
Furthermore, the Vikings will also win a playoff game for the first time since the 2019 postseason when Mike Zimmer put together a masterful game plan to conquer the New Orleans Saints. After getting immediately bounced despite winning 13 and 14 in the regular season, they are just due.
7. Vikings finish 10-7.
The franchise will not repeat the 14 wins from last year. That’s just not easy to do whatsoever. Still, they finish with a respectable 10-7 record and qualify for the postseason.
With McCarthy looking solid, the sky is the limit for a roster as stacked as Minnesota’s.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.