It’s that time of year again. Here are three burning questions for the Minnesota Vikings.
How much will Stefon Diggs be missed?
One the NFL’s roughest one-two punches at wide receiver were Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. However, Diggs is now in Buffalo, so quarterback Kirk Cousins has Thielen, former Titans receiver Tajae Sharpe, and first-round pick Justin Jefferson as his targets.
But a handful of football insiders feel Jefferson is an upgrade over Diggs, due in large part to his size, for this team’s offensive style. Plus, Sharpe could be a breakout player for this team. If he can eliminate the drops that Titans fans grew to expect, the team will use him as a secret weapon with defenses focusing their coverage schemes on Thielen, Jefferson, and tight end Kyle Rudolph, who has been Cousins’s security blanket underneath.
Cousins failed to eclipse the 4,000-yard passing mark for the first time in five seasons last year; this is attributed more to the success of the running game than a detriment against Cousins, though.
With the way this offense is composed, he should get back to the 4,000-yard plateau.
Is Dalvin Cook an elite running back?
Vikings running back Dalvin Cook started 14 games last season. Due to a torn ACL and a nagging hamstring injury, Cook only played in 14 games combined in his first two NFL campaigns.
In 2019, Cook racked up over 1,100 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. He finally looked like the back they drafted and the player he was in the first handful of games prior to his rookie season injury in his rookie season.
If Cook stays healthy and posts another 1,000-plus rushing yard season, he would cement his spot among the top five or six running backs in the league.
Of course, none of this matters if he can’t reach a new deal. Currently, he’s planning on holding out if an agreement is not reached.
Will the new-look defense be able to keep them in games?
Defensively, the Vikings lost quite a bit of last season’s unit. Everson Griffen, Linval Joseph, Trae Waynes, Mackensie Alexander, Xavier Rhodes, Stephen Weatherly, Andrew Sendejo, and Jayron Kearse are no longer in Minnesota.
Minnesota did use six of their draft picks this season to retool the secondary, including picks they received from the Bills in the Diggs trade.
If any team can overcome an inexperienced secondary, it’s a team with a high-powered dual-threat offense that can put up several points week in and week out.
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