The Minnesota Vikings have exceeded all expectations through the first 12 games of the season, winning ten of those contests. To achieve that, the team must employ some of the league’s top talent, and the players should be represented in the award season.
2 Vikings Tabbed All-Pro-Worthy
Those awards include the usual MVP and Offensive and Defensive Player honors, as well as the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. Minnesota has nominated fullback C.J. Ham for the WPMOY.
The Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams are just as important for the players, as they can use those accolades to fill their resume for the next contract negotiations. Last season, the Vikings didn’t have a single player listed for first-team All-Pro, and only long snapper Andrew DePaola made the second team.
This year, however, the Vikings have a strong selling point: Their record.
Tyler Brooke from The33rdteam predicted the 2024 All-Pro team and two Vikings made the cut: Justin Jefferson and Jonathan Greenard.
Jefferson is joined by fellow wideouts Ja’Marr Chase and Terry McLaurin. Brooke opined about the Viking: “Justin Jefferson isn’t posting video game numbers like he’s used to, but he still has over 1,000 receiving yards in 12 games. He’s one of the most efficient receivers in the league, averaging 2.54 yards per route run, which puts him in the top five in the NFL.”
The receiving numbers have not quite reached those of his recent healthy seasons, but he is still second in yards in the NFL. His problem from a statistical standpoint is that the team isn’t throwing as much as in previous campaigns. Last season, the Vikings ranked sixth leaguewide with 37.1 pass attempts per game despite playing half the season with backups, and Kevin O’Connell’s crew even eclipsed that number in 2022 (39.6). This year, however, that number has dropped to an average total of 30.1 attempts per game.
That can be attributed to the departure of Kirk Cousins, the added trust to the rushing attack after signing Aaron Jones, and the improved defense that is preventing shootouts.
Jefferson only reached ten targets one time (when he was targeted 14 times against the Jets in Week 5). The fact that 1,038 yards in 12 games seems low for the receiver says a lot about his talent.
Greenard, meanwhile, is a newcomer in the Twin Cities after spending the first four seasons of his career in Houston. He was signed to take the spot of four-time Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter, and he hasn’t disappointed one bit.
Brooke wrote: “This is one of the most competitive EDGE groups in years, with a dozen deserving candidates for first-team All-Pro honors. For the sake of this exercise, one established superstar makes the first team, while a newcomer also makes the list. Jonathan Greenard currently leads the NFL with 60 pressures and is near the top with ten sacks, 14 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles. He’s the perfect EDGE in a Brian Flores defense, playing with his hair on fire and wreaking havoc in the backfield.”
Greenard is just coming off a November that earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Both Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel have shared the spotlight. The latter is more versatile, sometimes dropping back into coverage, but Greenard is dominant as the team’s top designated pass rusher, and he plays well against the run. Both deserve Pro Bowl and All-Pro consideration.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell just calls Greenard The Closer.
“As I like to call him, he’s The Closer,” O’Connell said on Wednesday. “How many times this year has he affected the quarterback, drawn a penalty, sacked the quarterback – strip-sacked last week in these critical moments where you need your best players to go make those plays, and he’s done it time and time again.”
It’s been a wonderful turnaround for the Vikings in the 2024 season, and the entire coaching staff and the players surely deserve a ton of credit.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt