Where Vikings Offensive Stars Slot in PFF's Player Rankings By Position
Somewhat surprisingly, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins cracked the top ten in Pro Football Focus's recent QB power rankings.
Let's check in on PFF's rankings of the other offensive positions to see where some Vikings stars were slotted.
Wide receiver
Justin Jefferson: No. 2
Jefferson trails only Davante Adams here, coming in ahead of Tyreek Hill and Ja'Marr Chase. Jefferson has nearly 400 more yards than Adams over the past three seasons, but trails him by 18 in touchdown receptions and is ever-so-slightly worse in metrics like PFF receiving grade and yards per route run, two stats Sam Monson cites in putting Adams atop the list.
I’m not sure you can say Jefferson is better than Davante Adams, but he’s joined him atop the mountain. Jefferson is second to Adams in a whole variety of categories since entering the league and has been phenomenally productive for the Vikings in his young career. He is an outstanding route runner, can win contested catches and already has one of the greatest catches in NFL history on his resume — a fourth-and-18 one-handed snag against Buffalo.
I don't think there's anything wrong with having Adams ahead of Jefferson for now. But Jefferson's primary competition for the No. 1 spot moving forward is probably Chase, as Adams turns 31 this year and has a suddenly murky QB situation in Las Vegas.
Running back
Dalvin Cook: No. 10
It's no secret that Cook may not be on the Vikings' roster much longer, as he could be traded or released at any point. But even though he's coming off a poor season by various advanced metrics, the four-time Pro Bowler still cracks PFF's top ten at running back. Cook and his camp believe the shoulder surgery he underwent this offseason will help him have a big 2023 — whether that's in Minnesota or elsewhere.
The narrative around Cook seems to put him on a level that does not appropriately respect how good of a player he still is. In 2022, he tied his career low in yards per carry, but it was still a healthy 4.5. Plus, he earned 3.2 yards after contact, which was the second-highest mark of his career. Nick Chubb (122) is the only back who has had more explosive runs than Cook (112) over the past three seasons. At worst, he’s still a top-10 talent at the position.
Tight end
T.J. Hockenson: No. 5
PFF has three tight ends in the "elite" tier: Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, and George Kittle. Hockenson comes in second behind Dallas Goedert in the "great with potential to become elite" tier, placing him fifth overall. That feels like a reasonable ranking for the soon-to-be 26-year-old, but a big first full season in the Vikings' offense could push him into the top tier.
A midseason trade did wonders for the former Iowa Hawkeye, as Hockenson fit the Vikings offense and tied for the third-highest WAR among TEs in 2022 at 0.41. Hockenson only trailed Kelce in receptions for the 2022 season, including the playoffs, which resulted in the second-most yards from the position.
Offensive tackle
Christian Darrisaw: No. 5
Brian O'Neill: No. 16
Per PFF, the Vikings have the second-best offensive tackle duo in the league, behind only the Eagles' Lane Johnson (No. 2) and Jordan Mailata (No. 6).
Darrisaw cracks the top five after a dominant breakout season in 2022. I have no issue with him being behind veterans Trent Williams, Johnson, and Laremy Tunsil, but I do think there's a case that he belongs ahead of Andrew Thomas (No. 4) as the best young OT in football.
The 23rd selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, Darrisaw impressed as a rookie before taking a big step forward in 2022. Just two players at the position bettered the 90.6 PFF run-blocking grade produced by the former Virginia Tech standout, and while he still needs to improve his consistency in pass protection, his 82.4 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2022 was the eighth-best mark at the position.
O'Neill, who is recovering from an Achilles injury, comes in at No. 16.
The 62nd selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, O’Neill has developed into one of the best right tackles in football, coming off a career-high 82.7 PFF grade in 2022 that ranked eighth among all tackles. Even if that’s his peak, his floor is a player who hasn’t graded below 70.0 in each of the past four seasons, logging more than 1,000 snaps in each of those years, too.
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