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Vikings' 2023 Rookie Class Ranked Among NFL's Best
The Vikings added multiple impact rookies last year, which was huge.
GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings needed to have a successful draft last year after their 2022 class flopped miserably. They did just that, which was a critical development for the future of the franchise. Led by a stud first round receiver and an unexpected gem of a UDFA, Minnesota's promising 2023 rookie class was recently ranked as the NFL's sixth-best by Pro Football Focus.
The Vikings got 2,335 non-special teams snaps from their rookies last year, which was just 19th-most in the league. But the two players who combined for over 1,600 of those look like excellent building blocks, and there's at least one other intriguing piece in that group moving forward as well.
It starts with wide receiver Jordan Addison, who was the No. 23 overall pick. He played over 900 offensive snaps and showed plenty of promise in his debut season, posting a 70-911-10 line. Addison, who was the Vikings' WR1 for a chunk of the season with Justin Jefferson hurt, was one of two rookies (Sam LaPorta) with double-digit touchdown receptions last year. His advanced metrics were merely OK (1.42 yards per route run, 69.7 PFF receiving grade), but Addison should continue to get better in his second season.
The other key member of the Vikings' 2023 rookie class wasn't one of their six draft picks. It was linebacker Ivan Pace Jr., who was an incredible find as an undrafted free agent out of Cincinnati. He played all 17 games, starting 11 of them and seeing over 700 defensive snaps. Pace was a perfect fit in Brian Flores' defense as an aggressive, mobile linebacker with an alpha dog mentality. He was the Vikings' second highest-graded defender (behind only Danielle Hunter) and his 77.1 grade ranked 16th out of 66 NFL linebackers who played at least 500 snaps in the regular season. Even as an undersized player, Pace looks like a foundational piece of the Vikings' future.
Third-round cornerback Mekhi Blackmon (434 snaps) was the only other rookie to reach triple digits in playing time. He had a very solid 71.8 coverage grade, wasn't charged with a missed tackle all year, and recorded eight pass breakups. Blackmon is also undersized, but he should have a chance to play a lot alongside Byron Murphy Jr. and Shaquill Griffin in his second season.
Among the Vikings' other notable rookies — Jay Ward, Jaquelin Roy, Jaren Hall, Andre Carter II, and NaJee Thompson — Roy has the clearest path to making a leap in 2024. The fourth-round pick should have every opportunity to compete for a role in the Vikings' defensive tackle rotation. Thompson has already established himself as a dynamic gunner on special teams, which is valuable.
The Vikings did well with their 2023 rookie class. The 2024 class is going to be much more important.
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