The reigning NFC North Champs and owners of a 13-4 record a year ago, the smart money is on regression to the mean for the Minnesota Vikings in 2023.
The Vikings set an NFL record with 11 wins in one-score games, all while amassing a -3 point differential during the regular season.
Regression is not the end of the world for the Vikes, as they still have the talent to easily win a weak NFC North.
Here's how Minnesota's starting lineup stacks up as we move on from the NFL Draft and approach mini camp.
Minnesota Vikings depth chart
Backfield
QB: Kirk Cousins
Kirk Cousins struggled statistically with a career-high 14 interceptions. Still, Cousins earned a Pro Bowl nod thanks to a league-leading eight game-winning drives in the fourth quarter.
The veteran QB has finished with a record within a game of .500 during six of his eight seasons as a starter.
RB: Dalvin Cook
Cook is coming off his fourth-straight 1,000-yard season. Though, it was the least efficient yet in terms of yards per carry as Cook averaged 4.4 yards per touch.
Receivers
WR1: Justin Jefferson
WR2: Jordan Addison
WR3: K.J. Osborn
TE: T.J. Hockenson
After nine years in a Vikings uniform, home-grown product Adam Thielen left in free agency during the offseason. Vikings fans will miss him for sentimental reasons. But on the field, he had not produced a 1,000-yard year since 2018.
His replacement is Jordan Addison, a dynamic first-round pick from USC. Addison pairs with AP Offensive Player of the Year Justin Jefferson as well as the steady T.J. Hockenson to form a formidable receiving group.
Offensive Line
LT: Christian Darrisaw
LG: Ezra Cleveland
C: Garrett Bradbury
RG: Chris Reed
RT: Bryan O'Neill
The offensive tackle pairing of Darrisaw and O'Neill is strong, but the interior of this unit is a weak point. The Vikings finished in the bottom five in the NFL in rushing yards last year and bottom 10 in sacks allowed.
Defensive Line
DE: Dean Lowry
NT: Khyiris Tonga
DE: Harrison Phillips
Dean Lowry strengthens the Minnesota defensive line that lost tackle Dalvin Tomlinson in the off-season. However, outside of the starting three, the Vikings lack depth across the defensive front.
Linebackers
LOLB: Danielle Hunter
LILB: Brian Asamoah III
RILB: Jordan Hicks
ROLB: Marcus Davenport
Perhaps the biggest news with this group is the names that aren't here: Eric Kendricks, who joined the Los Angeles Chargers after eight years in Minneapolis, and Zadarius Smith — who was traded to the Cleveland Browns.
In Smith, the Vikes lose a tenacious pass-rusher with a history of getting to the quarterback. In Kendricks, Minnesota lost the heart and soul of its defense — a player with seven straight 100-tackle seasons who came to define the middle linebacker position for the Vikings.
Getting Marcus Davenport (nine sacks in 2021) from the Saints helps, but this unit is much weaker than it was a year ago.
Secondary
CB: Andrew Booth Jr.
SS: Harrison Smith
FS: Camryn Bynum
CB: Byron Murphy Jr.
This young secondary is still anchored by the hard-hitting Harrison Smith. It got even younger with the additions of third-round pick Mekhi Blackmon (a cornerback from USC) and fourth-rounder Jay Ward (a safety from LSU).
Special Teams
PK: Greg Joseph
P: Ryan Wright
LS: Andrew DePaola
KR: Kene Nwangwu
PR: Brandon Powell
A year after hitting 86% of his field goals, Greg Joseph hit just 78% of his kicks last year — though six of his seven misses came from beyond 50 yards.
In the return game, Kene Nwangwu was one of five players to return a kickoff for a touchdown last season.
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