Over the last several weeks, Pro Football Focus has been releasing position group rankings, putting each team’s group in a tier list. On their own, it’s a useful and easy way to get re-introduced to each team’s roster.
We can combine them to give us a sense of where teams stand from a full-roster perspective and how the Vikings’ roster stacks up to some of their biggest competitors in the NFC.
Note: PFF has not yet released a quarterback tier list, so I substituted in Mike Sando’s QB tiers list (an essential read every year). Also missing is linebacker rankings because PFF’s Seth Galina ranked them 1-32 but did not put them into tiers.
Here’s how the Vikings were ranked.
- QBs – Tier 3
- RBs – Tier 1
- WRs – Tier 2
- OL – Tier 4
- DL – Tier 2
- Secondary – Tier 3
- Linebackers – 5th overall
Now, let’s put that into context with all of Minnesota’s NFC North rivals along with the other NFC teams that have the closest playoff betting odds.
It’s worth noting that there is no consideration for positional value or recognition of ranking within the tier (For example, Kirk Cousins, Jameis Winston, Jared Goff and Jalen Hurts are all Tier 3 QBs but Cousins is at the top of the tier while all the others are at the bottom and the NFL is clearly higher on Cousins as a whole).
But we still have a few clear takeaways:
First, the Packers’ roster remains one of the best. Their only real weakness is the wide receiver room, and while that’s an important position, Green Bay has the best personnel to elevate that unit with Rodgers, a strong offensive line, and an explosive running game. And in PFF’s linebacker rankings, the Packers ranked sixth.
The Eagles’ prowess is noteworthy too. While a struggling Jalen Hurts could sink the entire team’s chances, the rest of the roster is proof that he won’t need to do much for this team to be successful.
The Vikings remain a step below the Packers, even without a weight on QB play. The fact they are on the same level as the 49ers was intriguing as the general consensus around the league is that the 49ers’ roster is a step above Minnesota. The Saints noticeably rank a bit better, which is intriguing given the current betting lines.
Lastly, it was an informative look at the Arizona Cardinals given they are right around the NFL’s playoff bubble, despite the Lions potentially sporting a better roster.
Again, there are caveats to this exercise, and QB play will ultimately decide a lot of this, but the Vikings roster puts itself right on the playoff bubble once again this year.
