After putting up an 8-9 record that led to the firing of Mike Zimmer, the Minnesota Vikings are hoping that their 2022 season is better. With Dalvin Cook primed to take another step forward in Kevin O’Connell’s offense and first-year GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah taking over personnel moves, all signs are pointing up for Minnesota.
Realistically, they still face quite the uphill battle for playoff relevancy in the NFC. With the Green Bay Packers likely still holding serve at the top of the North, the Vikings will need to produce at least nine wins this year if they want to be a factor in the tight playoff race. And to help get them there, these three players will need to produce breakout seasons.
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Vikings Breakout Players For The 2022 NFL Season
3. Lewis Cine
With a massive void to fill alongside Harrison Smith in the defensive backfield, the Vikings roster received an upgrade with their drafting of Georgia safety Lewis Cine. A stout defender with a nose for big hits, Cine likely will find himself in the starting lineup right out of the gate.
What makes his rookie season a great chance to be a breakout year is based on the secondary as a whole and how many non-superstars are going to be looked to in big situations. With Cine now in the fold, he likely will be asked to come down and help out in the slot or hang back as the final line of defense when Smith is lurking up near the line of scrimmage, so there is potential for a ton of high-leverage situations for Cine to show out in.
2. Irv Smith Jr.
Robbed of his potential breakout season last year, the Vikings' 2022 season will need a big year from Irv Smith Jr. as the team’s no. 1 tight end. The former Alabama pass-catcher was trusted to be the team’s top TE last season but suffered a season-ending meniscus injury before he could get started.
Outside of Justin Jefferson, the targets from Kirk Cousins still are unspoken for, and with Adam Thielen’s health potentially phasing him into a smaller offensive role, the work is right in front of Smith to take advantage of. 60 receptions, 700 yards, and 5 TDs is certainly not out of the realm of possibilities for Smith as he looks to make a big-time impression and become a breakout player for the Vikings.
1. Alexander Mattison
Yes, Cook is still here and still has the inside track to keeping his RB1 role. But Alexander Mattison will be a bigger part of this offense during the 2022 season.
OTA work should always be taken with a grain of salt, but seeing that Cook was split out wide for quite a lot of snaps paints a picture that sees both players on the field at the same time. Last season was the biggest year for Mattison in both the rushing and passing games, and those totals likely will be passed this year.
Bumping up his touch total to around 225 total touches is a likely outcome for Mattison’s role in the new offense, and with it likely will come an increase in both his rushing and passing role, and if Cook is beset with injuries yet again, Mattison could really position himself well for the team to move on from Cook next year and make Mattison the starter moving forward.
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