Vikings just outside of top 10 in NFL 'future power rankings'

The Vikings are just outside of the top 10 in the newest edition of ESPN's annual "future power rankings" of all 32 NFL teams. They check in at No. 11 in the rankings, which look at 2025-2027 outlook through the lens of a team's quarterback, non-QB roster, coaching, and front office, as rated by four ESPN analysts.

The Vikings' overall grade was 82.4. Here's how they were ranked at those four categories:

Coaching: 5th
Front office: 15th
Quarterback: 20th
Non-QB roster: 10th

The ESPN panel also identified a reason for hope, reason for concern, nugget to know, and bold prediction for each team.

For the Vikings, the reason for hope and the reason for concern are one and the same: QB J.J. McCarthy. The Vikings have an excellent coaching staff and a loaded roster, so their future largely hinges on the play of the 22-year-old McCarthy. If he can be an average-level starting quarterback, this team could be dangerous. If he's great, they're an immediate Super Bowl contender. But if he doesn't pan out, the coaching and roster won't matter all that much, and they'll eventually have to reset at the game's most important position.

"He has all of the physical and mental tools to be a star and has the best coaching staff one could ask for in (Kevin) O'Connell and QB coach Josh McCown," Louis Riddick wrote. "He just needs to do it."

The nugget to know has to do with Dallas Turner's quiet rookie season — and how it isn't that uncommon.

"It's not abnormal for a first-round edge to have few sacks as a rookie," Aaron Schatz wrote. "Since 2015, 15 different first-round edge rushers had three or fewer sacks as rookies, including players who broke out later like Will McDonald IV (3) and Haason Reddick (2.5)."

The bold prediction from Seth Walder is that the Vikings "will have a bottom-five defense in EPA per play" in 2027 (I think, based on context, that his prediction is for the 2027 season, even though he doesn't actually say that directly).

"By this point, defensive coordinator Brian Flores will have been poached for another head coaching job and veterans like safety Harrison Smith, defensive tackles Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen and edge Andrew Van Ginkel will have aged out," Walder wrote.

It's possible Flores lands a head coaching gig in one of the next two offseasons, but it's also possible his lawsuit against the league and his history with Tua Tagovailoa in Miami continue to scare teams off. After all, the Vikings' defense was unbelievable last season and Flores still wasn't hired elsewhere. Even if he does leave, the hope would be that someone like DBs coach Daronte Jones would be primed to take over and continue the team's success on that side of the ball.

And while the Vikings' current defense does have some older players, the core also includes Jonathan Greenard, Byron Murphy Jr., Josh Metellus, Blake Cashman, Theo Jackson, and Turner, among others. McCarthy will still be on his rookie deal in 2027, so there's no reason why the Vikings can't have at least a decent defense in two years' time.

Overall, 11th is a solid score for the Vikings, who ranked 21st on the list this time last year and 23rd two years ago. The future looks a lot brighter than it has in recent years.

With the Lions and No. 5 and the Packers at No. 6 in ESPN's rankings, the NFC North figures to continue to be extremely competitive on an annual basis moving forward.

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