The Minnesota Vikings are at a critical point as they prepare for the 2024 NFL season. The team that won the NFC North two years ago appears to be in a difficult position this year. The Detroit Lions are the defending division champions and they are favored to repeat that success and also challenge the San Francisco 49ers for NFC superiority. The Lions are hoping to go to the Super Bowl for the first time in team history.
The Green Bay Packers appear to be ahead of the Vikings as well. They made the move away from Aaron Rodgers last year and Jordan Love appears to be one of the rising stars at the quarterback position. He led the Packers to a playoff road win over the Dallas Cowboys last year and he is armed with a new contract and confidence.
The Chicago Bears are expected to be a solid team this year with No. 1 draft pick Caleb Williams at the helm and a trio of stars at the wide receiver position.
The Vikings will try to write their own script this year and they attempt to prove the pundits wrong. However, it will be a major challenge as Sam Darnold steps in as the team's QB1 while rookie first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy works to show he is ready to become an NFL starter. The Vikings have plenty of talent with wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison along with running back Aaron Jones, but they also have a number of questions.
There are at least three players on the Vikings roster who are on the bubble in training camp this summer.
Quarterback Nick Mullens faces a major challenge
It's going to take an excellent showing this summer for Nick Mullens to earn a spot on the Vikings roster. It's obvious that Darnold and McCarthy are the team's top two quarterbacks, and it will be up to Mullens or Jarren Hall to show head coach Kevin O'Connell who will be worthy of the third quarterback spot on the roster.
Mullens had a chance to show what he could do last year after Kirk Cousins suffered a torn Achilles and was lost for the season. He completed 100 of 148 passes for 1,306 yards with 7 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. That kind of performance was underwhelming and he simply made too many mistakes of a careless nature.
It will be difficult for Mullens to show that he is worthy of a roster spot. Mullens is entering his sixth year in the league, while Hall is in his second year after he was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 Draft out of BYU.
The Vikings will likely go with the younger player in Hall unless Mullens has a few wow moments in the preseason.
Running back Kene Nwangwu must show his value
The Vikings were unhappy with their running game last year. They had parted company with Dalvin Cook and O'Connell expected Alexander Mattison to give the Vikings consistent production on the ground. That did not happen.
As a result, the Vikings signed former Packers star Aaron Jones in the offseason to be their starting running back. Elusive Ty Chandler is slated to be their No. 2 running back.
Vikings fans are familiar with Kene Nwangwu because he has played a key role as a kickoff returner. The league's new kickoff rules may not be favorable to a speedster like Nwangwu. It will likely favor a tougher, inside runner who can absorb contact, bounce out of tackles and maintain his balance.
To this point in his career, Nwangwu has not been impressive as a running back. While he can run away from tacklers, he does not have the vision to anticipate or see where tacklers are coming from. Unless Nwangwu shows great improvement as a running back, it will be difficult for him to make the team.
Can strong safety Lewis Cine stay on the field
There was a time when Lewis Cine figured heavily in the Vikings' plans. He was a first-round draft choice in 2022 out of Georgia, and it was expected that he would either start or make a significant contribution on the field.
Cine was slowed by injuries as a rookie, but he has failed to impress since then. He has failed to play in 10 games when he was deemed healthy enough to compete. That's a poor sign for a player who is going into his third year on the team.
If he can't make a turnaround quickly, it would be difficult to see defensive coordinator Brian Flores endorsing him for a position on the roster.
Cine has already been slowed by a leg injury that has caused him to miss a couple of early practice sessions. O'Connell does not expect the issue to be long lasting, but the defensive back must prove he is worthy of a roster spot. He is clearly on the bubble this summer.
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