If Pro Football Focus is accurate, the Minnesota Vikings, despite a 3-4 record, are one of the top teams in the NFL. Look how the Vikings rank in respective categories.
- Overall: 8th
- Offense: 4th
- Passing offense: 5th
- Pass blocking: 3rd
- Receivers: 11th
- Running backs: 30th
- Run blocking: 1st
- Defense: 17th
- Run defense: 11th
- Pass rush: 31st
- Coverage: 10th
That’s a data-driven way to say the Vikings have been good to really good outside of performances by running backs and pass rushers. When you break it down position by position, the Vikings look even better.
Kirk Cousins is the sixth highest-graded passer, per PFF. Only Tua Tagovailoa, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes and Jared Goff have a better passing grade.
Justin Jefferson, out for at least two more games because of a hamstring injury, is the fourth highest-graded wide receiver, trailing only AJ Brown, Brandon Aiyuk and Tyreek Hill. Jordan Addison leads all rookie receivers with six touchdowns, which is just one behind Hill for the NFL lead.
Josh Oliver, thanks to his blocking skills, is the No. 3 overall tight end and T.J. Hockenson is 10th. Hockenson ranks 7th overall when isolating the view to receiving skills.
Christian Darrisaw isn’t just the highest-rated tackle in the NFL, he’s the No. 1 offensive lineman in the league, according to PFF. Brian O’Neill is 14th among the top offensive line grades in the league. Ezra Cleveland is 36th and Garrett Bradbury is 42nd. Four top 50 offensive lineman in Minnesota? That’s a real life miracle.
When you look at only tackles, Darrisaw is No. 1 and O’Neill is No. 8. Cleveland is ninth among all guards, and Bradbury is ninth among all centers. In other words, the Vikings have four top-10 players on the offensive line.
The interior defensive line is one area where Minnesota doesn’t score well. Jonathan Bullard, who is a backup, is 35th among interior rushers and Harrison Phillips, the starter, ranks 52nd.
Danielle Hunter leads the NFL with nine sacks but his PFF grade ranks him 62nd among edge rushers in the league. D.J. Wonnum is ranked 76th and Pat Jones II is actually 118th out of 118th edge rushers who have played at least 20% of their team’s defensive snaps. That explains PFF ranking Minnesota’s pass rush 31st.
Jordan Hicks is ranked 12th among linebackers and rookie Ivan Pace Jr. is 17th. Two top-20 linebackers is a huge plus after the Vikings cut ties with Eric Kendricks.
Akayleb Evans is Minnesota’s highest-graded cornerback and he’s 69th overall. Rookie corner Mekhi Blackmon is 78th and Byron Murphy Jr. is 108th out of 125 qualified cornerbacks. That’s not good but we could see their numbers improve now that they’re going to start facing lesser quarterbacks like Jordan Love, Desmond Ridder, Derek Carr and others rather than juggernauts like Jalen Hurts, Justin Herbert, Patrick Mahomes and Brock Purdy.
Cam Bynum is ranked 4th and Harrison Smith is 14th among safeties.
To recap, the Vikings have a top-10 QB, arguably the best WR in the NFL, a pair of top-10 tight ends, four starters ranking among the best at their positions on the offensive line, the NFL’s sack leader, two top-20 linebackers and two top-15 safeties.
Maybe it was just a matter of holding onto the football before the wins started piling up for the talented Vikings? After beating the 49ers on Monday night, that certainly seems to be the case.
