What PFF Gets Wrong About The Vikings
K. Joudry
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Recently, PFF made a few waves due to their piece that outlines every team’s top 3 players. The Vikings, of course, are included, and PFF made some notable choices.
According to the analytics experts, Minnesota’s best 3 consist of a RB, edge rusher, and young wide receiver. Take a peak at their rationale:
By nearly any metric you want to look at, Jefferson has already established himself as one of the NFL’s elite wide receivers in his first two seasons out of LSU. Most notably, he leads all wide receivers in PFF receiving grade against press coverage since 2020 — something he didn’t see much of in the slot at LSU. He’s joined by Cook on offense, who saw his PFF grade slide from a career-high 89.0 in 2020 to a career-low 65.8 last season in an injury-marred campaign.
Hunter will also be looking to bounce back from injury at his edge defender spot. He tallied 88 quarterback pressures in a career year in 2019 but has played just 384 defensive snaps while recording 31 pressures in the two years since.
Immediately below these paragraphs, PFF suggests they considered a handful of other Vikings. Kirk Cousins, Adam Thielen, Za’Darius Smith, Harrison Smith, and Brian O’Neill were also given consideration. Eric Kendricks should find his name in this honorable mention list.
The Kendricks miss aside, the mistake rested in omitting The Hitman in the top 3. He could reasonably be put ahead of Hunter because of the edge rusher’s injuries. However, I get that an elite EDGE – a title Hunter holds when he’s healthy – will always be more important than an elite safety. The real miss, then, is including Cook over Smith.
In some ways, the running back and safety positions are similar. In today’s NFL, both positions are tasked with doing multiple things well. The positions have also been devalued, causing many to overlook the players who occupy these spots.
Last year, Smith was better than Cook. The veteran safety finished 11th overall in the safety rankings on PFF. He had 104 snaps along the DL, 337 in the box, 156 at slot CB, 25 at wide CB, and 426 at free safety. He pretty much played every position on defense. More often than not, he did so at a high level. Apart from 2013, Smith has never dipped below 23rd overall in the PFF rankings for safeties. He has finished in their top 10 five times, and 2017 led to a first-overall grade.
Meanwhile, Cook has been mostly brilliant but too often undone by injury. Cook came in at 42nd out of 62 RBs in the PFF grades for 2021. He has yet to have a fully healthy NFL season. As a result, one can certainly quibble with the notion he’s a top 3 player for the Vikings, as PFF suggests. Based on talent alone, Cook is top 3. If we factor in on-field production, though, it’s far more debatable. Injuries have consistently limited the veteran RB.
Regardless, it’s good that the Vikings find themselves in a position where we can actually have this debate. There is talent on this team, so we should all be looking for Minnesota to genuinely compete in 2022.
Purple PTSD Also Read: Questions Answered: Vikings Injury Report, Getting Danielle Hunter Right, Khyiris Tonga
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