After releasing multiple veterans over the age of 30, the Minnesota Vikings are continuing to get younger. When you look at the roster, all of their best players are under the age of 30.
That is even more reflective in the top 25 under 25 list that Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus put together. He ranked wide receiver Justin Jefferson at second only behind Micah Parsons and left tackle Christian Darrisaw at 15th.
Here is what Sikkema had to say about Jefferson.
Three straight seasons of elite receiving grades for Jefferson — 90.4 in 2020, 90.1 in 2021 and 90.2 in 2022 — means he stands alone at the top of the young receiver list in terms of dominance and consistency. He’s unmatched, not just for his age, but among all NFL receivers.
Sikkema’s words about Darrisaw were just as complimentary.
Darrisaw dealt with a groin injury in his rookie season that caused him to miss four games, and he finished the year with a 71.9 overall grade. But this past season, he played in 15 games, recording 910 snaps, and earned an elite 90.4 overall grade. That massive jump was extremely impressive, and something that should give him a baseline to be one of the top young offensive linemen in the game moving forward.
The Vikings tied for second with multiple teams having two players on the list. Only the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys had more with each team having three players selected. The Vikings have young talent that good at premium positions is a huge benefit for constructing the roster and will provide benefits for years to come.