Vikings Territory: 3 Takeaways From PFF's Depth Chart Projection For Vikings

Press release from Vikings Territory:

July 3, 2021

A while back, Pro Football Focus projected depth charts for each NFL team, an interesting task pertaining to the Minnesota Vikings as the franchise has oodles of new defensive pieces.

After Danielle Hunter and the Vikings front office settled their contractual business a few weeks ago, a pivot to new summer storylines makes the will-he-or-won’t-we on Davis’ 2021 starting role the most tantalizing for speculation.

It is unknown in July if Davis will start in September. Most Vikings brains crave it. Why? Because the alternative is probably Dakota Dozier — who struggled profusely in 2020. If not Dozier (or Davis), the gig would probably be assigned to Mason Cole, who the Vikings acquired from the Arizona Cardinals with a 6th-Round pick in March.

All in all, PFF picks Davis at right guard, inducing smiles from Vikings fans.

But now that is cast into doubt as Breeland is a career starter, inclined to balk at the idea of a depth-only job. Breeland started in Washington, Green Bay, and Kansas City (he won a Super Bowl there). His plan is to start for the Minnesota Vikings — you can take that to the bank.

The CB room will get even more crowded — in a good way for depth — if Jeff Gladney somehow returns to the team after his legal situation is sorted out in Texas. But that is a gigantic question mark.

PFF‘s depth chart point-blank places Johnson as WR3, ignoring the mini-takeover of the spot by Chad Beebe in 2020. Of course, Beebe does not have a stranglehold on the job, but he did receive 30 targets from quarterback Kirk Cousins last season. That total is puny by traditional NFL standards — not for the Vikings. Under Zimmer, the franchise largely undervalues WR3s, instead focusing on passes to halfback Dalvin Cook and two tight ends like Irv Smith Jr. and Kyle Rudolph before he left the team.

The Vikings have cap space (about $14 million) to sign a tried-and-true WR3 like Dede Westbrook, Larry Fitzgerald, or Golden Tate. If they do not, the WR3 battle will include Beebe, Johnson, and rookie Ihmir Smith-Marsette.

This press release was produced by Vikings Territory. The views expressed here are the author’s own.