Two Vikings Stars Make PFF's List of NFL's Top 25 Players Under 25

Two young Minnesota Vikings stars made it onto Pro Football Focus's list of the NFL's top 25 players under the age of 25 heading into the 2023 season.

Superstar receiver Justin Jefferson, who turns 24 in June, was a no-brainer for the list. The only question is whether or not he should be in the No. 1 spot after a dominant, unprecedented three-year start to his career.

PFF has Jefferson at No. 2, one spot behind Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons.

Three straight seasons of elite receiving grades for Jefferson — 90.4 in 2020, 90.1 in 2021 and 90.2 in 2022 — means he stands alone at the top of the young receiver list in terms of dominance and consistency. He’s unmatched, not just for his age, but among all NFL receivers.

It's hard to take too much issue with Parsons being at No. 1. He's finished second in defensive player of the year voting and been selected as a first team All-Pro in each of his first two seasons. Jefferson was the offensive player of the year last season, being named first team All-Pro for the first time after two second-team nods. You can't really go wrong with either player atop the list.

At No. 15, Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw makes an appearance on the list following a dominant second season in 2022.

Darrisaw dealt with a groin injury in his rookie season that caused him to miss four games, and he finished the year with a 71.9 overall grade. But this past season, he played in 15 games, recording 910 snaps, and earned an elite 90.4 overall grade. That massive jump was extremely impressive, and something that should give him a baseline to be one of the top young offensive linemen in the game moving forward.

Darrisaw also turns 24 in June. He was legitimately one of the best left tackles in football last season, taking a huge leap from his rookie season and establishing himself as a consistently elite force. Darrisaw's size, athleticism, and technical prowess should allow him to remain one of the league's best LTs for a long time.

The Vikings having two consecutive first-round picks (Jefferson in 2020 and Darrisaw in 2021) crack this list is a reflection of how well they're set up on offense moving forward. It's also a credit to former GM Rick Spielman, who selected those players with the 22nd and 23rd overall picks, respectively, in his final two drafts.

The Cowboys, Falcons, Jets, Bengals, and Lions also had multiple players in the top 25.

No other Vikings made the list — and there aren't any with even a slight case. Minnesota is hoping that young players like Lewis Cine, Andrew Booth Jr., Akayleb Evans, Brian Asamoah, and Jordan Addison will emerge in the 2023 season.

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