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The Minnesota Vikings have built a roster that features proven veteran stars and a number of players who are looking to emerge or take the next step. Which positions have the brightest futures? Which have the most question marks going forward? Let’s have a look....

Quarterback

Kirk Cousins will be 34 years old when this season begins. The only starting quarterbacks older than Cousins are Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan. With his stellar health record, retirement doesn’t seem to be on the horizon but quarterbacks have tended to fade past their mid-30s historically. The only QBs over the age of 34 that have thrown 30-plus touchdowns since 2000 are Brady, Rodgers, Brees, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Carson Palmer, Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, Kurt Warner and Brett Favre. Most in that group are destined for Canton.

Cousins’ contract and the team’s timeline already suggest that he may not be the quarterback beyond when his deal comes to an end in 2023 and it is plausible that the Vikings could move him after this year depending on his and the team’s performance this season. Cousins said earlier this offseason that he has to “earn the right” to be a Viking for life and that would seem to be the case based on his short-term extension.

Outside of Cousins, the Vikings do not have a QB waiting in the wings. When they drafted Kellen Mond, there may have been hope that they could develop him into Cousins’ eventual successor. But after the third-rounder from Texas A&M spent last year behind veteran Sean Mannion (and the team brought back Mannion this year), the likelihood of the Vikings having their future quarterback on the roster is low.

Running back

Dalvin Cook is entering the running back danger zone at age 27. Since 2017, the only running backs to clear 1,000 yards in their age-27 season or beyond are Adrian Peterson, Mark Ingram, Lesean McCoy, Carlos Hyde and Derrick Henry. While Cook has certainly been in the same echelon of the great running backs of the last five years, he has also dealt with numerous injuries, including ankle and shoulder issues last season. His contract allows for the Vikings to move on after this season with only $6.2 million in dead cap, per OverTheCap.com. If he plays at the same level as 2019 and 2020, they could choose to rework the deal to lower his $14 million cap hit in 2023, but that might be playing with fire considering the history of older running backs.

Behind Cook, the player with the best chance to follow in the Pro Bowler’s footsteps is Kene Nwangwu. The 2021 fourth-rounder wasn’t a full-time back in college but has unique quickness (98th percentile in the 10-yard split at the NFL Combine) and natural big-play ability that could make him an option. Alexander Mattison is entering the final year of his contract, which makes him more likely to look for greener pastures, unless Cook were to exit and the Vikings offered him a duo role with Nwangwu.

The team will have time to determine whether Nwangwu can be their future back. If not, running back is the position most easily replaced with a draft pick.

Wide receiver / tight end

Justin Jefferson’s future will be a major discussion point following this season. The Vikings can offer him a contract extension — and based on this offseason, which featured numerous massive deals for wide receivers — he will be looking to break the bank. The Vikings aren’t likely to hesitate when it comes to handing him the keys to the franchise. The only question is whether Jefferson feels confident in the team’s overall direction and wants to sign up to stay long term.

Adam Thielen’s deal makes it difficult to cut or trade him after 2022, more or less locking him in as a Viking through 2023. They will need to hope he sustains a high level of play into his 30s.

Behind Jefferson and Thielen, the Vikings have a solid receiver in KJ Osborn under contract through 2023 and then a developing player in Ihmir Smith-Marsette, whose contract runs through 2024. They drafted Jalen Nailor in the sixth round but it’s yet to be seen if he will be a factor in the future.

The Vikings’ receiver room looks to be mostly set for the next two seasons. Whether it’s set for longer than that depends entirely on Jefferson. Finding another No. 2 post-Thielen is more possible than ever with the current state of receivers coming into the league. If they were forced to replace Jefferson on the other hand…

Offensive line

Few teams have invested more draft capital in the offensive line in recent years than the Vikings. From left to right they have: A first-round pick at left tackle, second-rounder at left guard, first-rounder at center, two other guards taken in the second and third round in the last two drafts and a second-round right tackle. All of them have been picked since 2018.

You would expect a group of players taken that high to be a juggernaut but there are still plenty of questions to be answered. Christian Darrisaw had the looks of the next franchise tackle at times but he struggled to stay healthy in his rookie season. Ezra Cleveland produced just a 55.5 pass blocking grade last season at left guard, which is not his natural position. Garrett Bradbury is entering the final season of his contract and has not proven yet to be a part of the long-term future. Wyatt Davis did not see the field and veterans Jesse Davis and Chris Reed are projected to battle for the right guard position. Brian O’Neill, meanwhile, has established himself as one of the best tackles in the NFL.

If things break the Vikings’ way with Darrisaw and Cleveland’s development, they could have the bones of something excellent in the trenches for years to come. However, if they do not solidify those jobs in the next two years, the Vikings will have spent oodles of draft capital with little to show for it. This year is a major swing season for the future of the O-line.

Defensive line

The failure to develop defensive line talent has forced the Vikings to dip into the free agent market, signing Dalvin Tomlinson in 2021 and Harrison Phillips and Za’Darius Smith this offseason. The 2022 season will provide answers pertaining to the future of the D-line. Will Danielle Hunter sign a long-term extension? Can Smith stay healthy and come back strong from back surgery? Will Tomlinson, whose contract is up after 2022, earn an extension?

Behind the starters, Armon Watts has shown flashes but the Vikings may have developed him just in time for another team to benefit. His deal runs out after this year. James Lynch has played several different positions, possibly finding a home at nose tackle but he would need to improve to make a case as a starter. On the edge, DJ Wonnum has gotten plenty of opportunity over the last two seasons but hasn’t shown potential to be a starter. Patrick Jones and Janarius Robinson will get chances in camp to make noise. They are far from clear-cut answers for the coming years.

Once the veterans’ futures are clarified in 2022, we will have a better idea of whether the D-line can be solid for the coming years or if it needs to be rebuilt. Right now the unit is tenuous.

Linebacker

The Vikings have been taking swings at linebackers in search of the next wave. But with Anthony Barr gone, they still were forced to turn to the free agent market and signed Jordan Hicks to a two-year deal (though they can cut him for only $1.5 million in dead cap space after this season). It’s not easy to project how much longer Eric Kendricks will be roaming the middle of the field either. He is entering his age-30 season and carries a $13.5 million cap hit in 2023. The All-Pro could very well end up as a Viking for many years to come or be gone after this year, depending on whether his high level of play sustains and how valuable the Vikings believe he is in Ed Donatell’s defense.

Of the recent draft picks, Brian Asamoah is the most likely to be a future starter because he was selected by the current regime. Chazz Surratt and Troy Dye have not yet shown potential to be long-term options.

Secondary

The Vikings restocked the cupboard by drafting three defensive backs in the first four rounds. Top pick Lewis Cine projects to play alongside Harrison Smith for at least the next two seasons as Smith’s deal carries a heavy dead cap hit if the Vikings let him go before 2023. At cornerback Patrick Peterson is a one-year stop gap as the Vikings develop second-rounder Andrew Booth Jr. The swing player to the DB group is Cam Dantzler, who has gone through ups and downs in his first two years and did not earn the trust of the previous coaching staff. If he solidifies himself as a starter this season, the position group could be the most promising for the future on the roster.