Hey everyone, welcome to Ranking Stuff Week. Over the next few days, we’ll be ranking stuff related to the Minnesota Vikings — some pertaining to the upcoming season and others from Vikings history.
To kick things off, let’s take a look at how the Vikings’ current group of skill players compares to the best in the NFL. In previous years with Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook in their primes alongside either Stefon Diggs or Justin Jefferson, the Vikings had an argument to be ranked at the top. How much different are things now that there’s less clarity in the backfield and at No. 2 receiver? We can only find out by ranking the NFL’s top 10 teams by their offensive weapons…
1. Miami Dolphins
Key skill players: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Raheem Mostert
Key stat: Miami’s top two receivers combined for 3,066 yards
You could argue that there are deeper teams than the Dolphins, whose current projected No. 3 receiver had just 12 catches last year, but it’s tough to make a case that any duo of receivers is more unstoppable than Hill and Waddle. They graded as PFF’s No. 1 and No. 9 receivers in 2022 and Waddle led the entire NFL in yards per reception among players with at least 80 targets.
Let’s not leave Mostert out of the equation either. He averages 5.4 yards per attempt for his career and added 31 receptions last season. There have also been consistent rumors that they could be in the mix to sign Dalvin Cook, which would further solidify their top status.
2. San Francisco 49ers
Key skill players: Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey
Key stat: Including postseason, McCaffrey ran for 984 yards and caught 64 passes in 14 games as a 49er
One of the reasons Kyle Shanahan’s club is so dynamic is because the 49ers can spread the ball all over the field with Samuel averaging 6.7 targets per game, Aiyuk averaging 6.5, McCaffrey 5.5 and Kittle 5.3 in the regular season. The only thing that can slow down this unstoppable force is either inconsistent QB play or injuries. It’s unclear whether it will be Trey Lance, Brock Purdy or even Sam Darnold throwing them the ball and Samuel and Kittle have been banged up in recent years.
As always, a team operated by someone named Shanahan is going to be great rushing the ball. McCaffrey gained 4.9 YPC and two lesser known backs Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason gained over 6.0 YPC in limited duty. Oh, the irony that this is a dream setup for quarterbacks.
3. Cincinnati Bengals
Key skill players: Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, Joe Mixon
Key stat: Chase still had 127 targets and 1,046 yards in 12 games
There is no better QB/WRs combo than Joe Burrow and his trio of exceptional receivers. Just two seasons into his career, Chase already has more than 2,500 yards and 22 touchdowns. If that was Cincinnati’s only star performer they would still be a force to be reckoned with but Tee Higgins has back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons while catching 71% of Burrow’s throws his way last year and Boyd is as consistent as they come with five straight seasons of at least 750 yards.
The Bengals’ running game isn’t as effective as a team like the 49ers with Mixon only gaining 3.9 YPC in 2022, though he was an effective pass catcher with 60 receptions.
4. Philadelphia Eagles
Key skill players: AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, D’Andre Swift
Key stat: AJ Brown ranked top 10 in average depth of target and third in yards per catch
Turns out that trading for AJ Brown was a really, really good idea for the Eagles. He fit in seamlessly with Jalen Hurts, setting a career high in receptions, yards and tying his career best with 11 touchdowns. Brown has always been a productive deep threat but proved in 2022 that he can be the centerpiece of an offense, rather than taking a backseat to a running back as he did in Tennessee. Philly got the coveted “next step” from Smith in his second year as his receptions jumped by 31 over the previous season. The Eagles have a case for the No. 1 spot but they lost Miles Sanders, who ran for nearly 1,300 yards last season. It’s yet to be seen if the inconsistent Swift can take his spot.
5. Seattle Seahawks
Key skill players: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Kenneth Walker III
Key stat: Metcalf and Lockett totaled 258 targets. Nobody else topped 63
Russell Wilson found out that not all receiving duos are the same when he left Seattle and struggled in Denver while Geno Smith successfully guided passes into the hands of Metcalf and Lockett. But the Seahawks decided it wasn’t enough to get over 2,000 yards out of their top two pass catchers and added the top receiver in the NFL draft Smith-Njigba.
They didn’t quite use tight end Noah Fant as effectively as the Broncos (his targets dropped by 25 and receptions fell by 18 from 2021 to 2022) but his comfort might improve this year. Walker burst onto the scene last year with over 1,000 yards at 4.9 yards per carry and scored nine TDs as a rookie.
6. Dallas Cowboys
Key skill players: CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup, Tony Pollard
Key stat: Cooks is one year removed from a 90-catch season and the Cowboys’ second best receiver last year had 50 fewer receptions than Lamb
It’s pretty remarkable that the Cowboys ranked third in the NFL in points scored despite leaning so heavily on one receiver. Lamb was targeted 148 times and gained close to 1,400 yards, while the next most productive option was TE Dalton Schultz with 86 targets for 577 yards. Now with Cooks in the mix they are back to having a true No. 2 receiver like in the Amari Cooper days.
Where things get interesting is in the backfield. Ezekiel Elliott averaged only 3.8 yards per carry last season vs. Tony Pollard’s 5.2 YPC but Pollard was able to split the carries and only ran 193 times. Will his efficiency slip if he’s used differently with Elliott gone?
7. Minnesota Vikings
Key skill players: Justin Jefferson, TJ Hockenson, KJ Osborn, Jordan Addison, Alexander Mattison
Key stat: Hockenson was targeted 92 times in 11 games (including playoffs) and Jefferson had the second most contested catches in the NFL with 22 (per PFF)
The Vikings have a chance to rank with the best of the best on this list but that really depends on how a few unknowns play out. If Jordan Addison competes for Rookie of the Year and the Alexander Mattison and Friends backfield improves the team’s rushing efficiency, they will have an elite group of weapons. If Addison takes some time to develop and the backfield is unremarkable, it’s still going to be a very strong group because of Jefferson/Hockenson/Osborn but not different from a year ago or maybe slightly worse.
8. Atlanta Falcons
Key skill players: Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Bijan Robinson, Cordarrelle Patterson
Key stat: Pitts only saw 56 targets after getting 107 as a rookie
Admittedly, this is a bold pick based entirely on projection and not past production. London, Pitts and Robinson are each high first-round draft picks who have freakish traits. If Desmond Ridder can get them the ball even slightly better than Marcus Mariota did in 2022, we could see an explosive offense under Arthur Smith. In past years we have seen young RBs instantly dominate and if that is the case with the much-hyped Robinson, the Falcons’ offense could be scary for opposing defenses. And Cordarrelle Patterson is still a dynamic weapon that Atlanta has used in all the right ways.
There is a world where none of it works though. If Ridder struggles and Robinson isn’t the player he’s expected to be then the Falcons could rank much lower when the dust settles.
9. Detroit Lions
Key skill players: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, Marvin Jones jr., David Montgomery
Key stat: St. Brown’s 90.7 PFF grade was the third highest in the NFL last season
Detroit’s offense centered around St. Brown and it worked pretty darn well with the Lions finishing top five in scoring in 2022. They figured it wasn’t enough and brought back Jones Jr. and drafted Gibbs. They could be questioned for not adding even more weaponry at the receiver position but the Lions will finally get to see what Jameson Williams can do after he returns from a six-game gambling-related suspension. If Gibbs and Williams become dynamic weapons, Detroit’s offense will be very dangerous. They also proved last year that they can throw it to Penei Sewell on key downs if they want.
10. New York Jets
Key skill players: Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, Allen Lazard, Tyler Conklin
Key stat: Wilson still ended up over 1,100 yards despite his three QBs ranking 34th, 38th and 41st out of 41 by PFF
Who’s the next great receiver in the NFL? We’re going to find out if the answer is Garrett Wilson now that he’s paired with Aaron Rodgers. He certainly showed signs of that last season while playing with a miserable group of quarterbacks. The rest of the group isn’t stellar enough to get the Jets into the same conversation as the 49ers’ and Eagles’ of the world but Hall (when he returns from an ACL tear) appeared to be a budding star and Lazard and Conklin are proven solid complimentary pieces.
