From Cinderella to Bonafide Contender? Minnesota Vikings Offseason Grade
If nothing else, Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell deserve a round of applause for their convictions.
Sam Darnold was the darling of the NFL during a Cinderella 2024 season, guiding the Vikings to a 14-3 record and an NFC Wild Card berth.
However, his purple and gold chariot first began showing signs of rust as midnight approached. Pressure concepts from opposing defenses ultimately cast major doubts before said carriage turned to a pumpkin in a playoff loss to the Rams.
Instead of riding with the status quo, and moving forward hoping that Darnold would progress and develop, leaving his struggles against the blitz not just behind in New York but in the latter stages of 2024, Adofo-Mensah, O’Connell, and the Vikings pressed forward with their plan to toss the keys of a prolific offense to J.J. McCarthy in 2025.
Let the Seattle Seahawks wonder if the Lions’ and Rams’ 11 sacks, one interception, and one forced fumble over the Vikings’ final two games were the result of Darnold seeing ghosts or merely two playoff-caliber defenses cracking Darnold’s 2024 code.
Either way, the McCarthy era dawns in Minnesota, coinciding with bolstering talent on a defense that, playing for a mad scientist coordinator, had its way with opponents via frequent and exotic blitz concepts last season.
The Vikings have a ready-made offense and soft landing in place for McCarthy, backed by a swarming defense that got better over the offseason.
While the NFC North is the most competitive division in football, Minnesota can’t be brushed off as a one-year wonder.
What I liked about the Minnesota Vikings’ Offseason
In Philadelphia, the Eagles barnstormed to a Super Bowl with the backbone of success being one of the most dominant offensive and defensive lines in the sport.
Clearly, Adofo-Mensah took notice, studied the film of the Vikings’ final two games that undid so much of the promise and optimism of last season, and got to work.
If Will Fries is fully healthy, off a fractured tibia that ended his season after five weeks last season, the 27-year-old who allowed just two sacks and six quarterback pressures could be a colossal upgrade and make a tangibly positive impact on McCarthy’s development.
Ryan Kelly also arrives at center, having allowed just one sack last season, instantly improving the interior of the Vikings’ offensive line, which should make life substantially easier in the pocket for McCarthy to process what he’s seeing and quickly get the ball out to dynamic receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
During the NFL Draft, the Vikings quadrupled down on helping McCarthy by selecting offensive lineman Donovan Jackson in the first round before rounding back and adding Tai Felton to an already electrifying receiving corps.
Yeah, McCarthy has a soft landing.
Meanwhile, defensively, Adofo-Mensah stuck to the blueprint by importing Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen, who, when healthy, each have the potential to wreak havoc via interior pressure on the quarterback and be stonewalls against the run.
Bolstering both lines of scrimmage is always a smart play, and the Vikings went all-in on following a winning formula this offseason.
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What Worries Me about the Minnesota Vikings’ Offseason, 2025 Outlook
Minnesota’s secondary remains a bit of a going concern, especially housed in a division that features the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze, and now 4.29 speedster Matthew Golden, not to mention the duos in Philadelphia, Washington, and Los Angeles who stand like roadblocks on the Vikings’ path to a Super Bowl.
Swapping out one veteran mercenary, with Isaiah Rodgers replacing Stephon Gilmore, feels like a lateral move at a position group that isn’t quite a five-alarm fire, but the smoke is beginning to rise from the embers.
For as talented and dominant as Minnesota’s front-seven is, the Vikings remain pretty vulnerable at cornerback.
Now, that could all change if the Vikings go out and sign Jaire Alexander and he plays at an All-Pro level for the two handfuls of games that he’s likely to be healthy for. But, in an offseason where the Vikings checked just about every conceivable box, not finding a way to make a dramatic upgrade at cornerback in a passing league loaded with elite playmaking wide receivers feels like an oversight.
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Minnesota Vikings Offseason Grade: A
Just as the Eagles drew up the blueprint for winning a Super Bowl in the modern NFL, the Lions and Rams exposed for the world to see, all of Sam Darnold’s and the Vikings’ flaws as a roster.
Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings deserve high marks for their swift accumulation of talent around their young quarterback.
Minnesota made a significant bet on McCarthy's evaluation, securing one of the 2024 class's highest-rising quarterback prospects. Crucially, they also set him up for success by prioritizing the filling of holes at the most important positions.
McCarthy was at his best and most effective at Michigan when he had a dominant running game as the focal point of the offense— see the Wolverines not calling a single passing play in the second half of a win at Penn State in 2023 (Yes, I was there, and yes I still have nightmares of 38 consecutive Blake Corrum handoffs). So, the Vikings sign former Christian McCaffrey understudy Jordan Mason and his 23 explosive runs of 10 yards or more last season, while averaging 3.35 yards after contact in San Francisco, to be the battering ram to Jefferson and Addison’s flashbangs.
This is a balanced offense, with upgrades made along both lines of scrimmage, set up for a quarterback to thrive in the most quarterback-friendly system and situation in the NFL.
The Vikings didn’t just retool or rebuild on the fly; they reloaded.
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