Vikings Rank Among NFL's Most Analytically-Inclined Teams
The Vikings' front office is widely respected across the league, and part of that is because of their willingness to incorporate analytics into their decision-making. While the team has a traditional, old-school coach in Mike Zimmer, they are generally perceived as being ahead of the curve when it comes to utilizing analytics in things like roster-building and game management.
Seth Walder, who covers sports analytics for ESPN, recently surveyed 26 NFL analytics staffers on numerous questions related to the topic. Most notably, Walder had each person list their top five most analytically-advanced teams. The Vikings earned six votes, which was tied for sixth-most.
One person mentioned the Vikings as one of the few teams who make data analysis a major part of their decision-making process.
"I think most places, analytics acts like the 10th scout," said one staffer, referring specifically to personnel decisions. "You'll go around the room, and there's nine scouts, and analytics will act like the 10th scout. Whereas I think the only two places where the analytics are the process instead of being just a cog in the wheel of the process are Cleveland and the Eagles. Maybe the Vikings."
The most obvious place where the Vikings' incorporation of analytics is visible is in their approach during the NFL draft. GM Rick Spielman has become famous for trading back and accumulating a ton of picks, which is an approach favored by the data. In 2020, he added a great amount of value with several savvy trades.
To that end, Minnesota pulled off the best draft pick-for-draft pick trade in the 2020 draft, according to our model, and cumulatively accrued the value of an additional second-round pick through its draft pick trades this year.
On the field, the Vikings' use of data is less clear. They have fluctuated in recent years with their fourth-down attempts, ranking in the top ten in volume of attempts in 2016 and 2018 but finishing dead last in 2017. That suggests those attempts are more situational than anything else.
The Vikings are struggling mightily to begin the 2020 season, but at least it's nice to know that the front office isn't behind the times when it comes to valuing data in their decision-making processes.
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