Minnesota Vikings: Roster Rivals Eagles For Best in NFL

Thanks to a nice bit of drafting and some intelligent free agent acquisitions, the Minnesota Vikings’ roster is stacked from top to bottom. Seemingly at every position, there’s depth as far as the eye can see.

But everyone knows it’s one thing to talk and another to walk. The Vikings proved their worth last season after reaching the NFC Championship Game; coincidentally against the Philadelphia Eagles. Led by quarterback Case Keenum, a solid foundation was laid and many are claiming the team has only improved this offseason.

Of course, the addition of Kirk Cousins was the flashiest signing of the offseason. After all, starting quarterbacks at that age don’t just pop out of nowhere.

But the Vikings’ roster was never built on quarterback play. Even though Cousins was signed to finally get them over the hump, general manager Rick Spielman has done an excellent job of drafting talent at multiple positions.

In fact, the Vikings have drafted 10 Pro Bowlers in the past 10 years, good for fifth-most in the NFL during that span. Possibly even more impressive, they’ve drafted a league-high eight Pro Bowlers in the first round during that same period.

Six of those Pro Bowlers reside on the defense, which has been the strong suit of the roster during the past few seasons. Anthony Barr, Linval Joseph, Everson Griffen, Harrison Smith, Xavier Rhodes and the now-retired Chad Greenway all have been given the nod at some point in their respective careers.

As ESPN’s Field Yates pointed out, the Vikings have an outstanding core locked in until 2020. They’ve recently extended Kendricks and Hunter‘s contracts, with looming decisions involving Waynes, Barr and Diggs.

But even if the Vikings aren’t able to retain every player, the front office can be counted on to refill those positions in due time. For example, the addition of 2018 first rounder Hughes may be a subtle attempt to show Waynes his time is ticking, while another name to watch out for is undrafted rookie free agent Holton Hill.

The main point is this — Minnesota is arguably the most complete team in the NFL.

Being compared to the defending Super Bowl champs is always a good thing, and the Vikings are in a very similar position to the Eagles. Having retained most of their star-studded players from last season, Philadelphia will be a tough outing for whichever team faces them.

One thing is clear though: if the Vikings perform anywhere near the level of last season, they’re destined for big things. Even if Cousins performs at a B to B- level, the rest of the roster is capable of carrying the load. That’s the advantage of having talent across the board.