Sports Illustrated reporter Albert Breer was asked during a mailbag which teams are set up for long-term success, and he didn’t just choose one team. Breer named a few teams that he thinks will be contenders for a while, but he threw a curveball at the end and brought the Vikings into the conversation.
“The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs, the two Super Bowl teams, stick out as easy picks. I still love where the Cincinnati Bengals are, so long as Joe Burrow’s injury luck turns. The Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles have all earned the benefit of the doubt over the years. Jim Harbaugh’s track record and Justin Herbert’s talent would earn the Los Angeles Chargers a spot on the list. The Houston Texans are there for me, too, given the acumen of C.J. Stroud, DeMeco Ryans and Nick Caserio. And if you want one curveball, I really like how the Minnesota Vikings are positioned moving forward.”
While a few of the draft picks Kwesi Adofo-Mensah picked in previous NFL Drafts don’t appear they will turn into quality pros, it feels like the 2024 NFL Draft selections will be slam dunk picks. J.J. McCarthy, the 10th pick, was 27-1 as a starting quarterback at Michigan and is a proven winner. Dallas Turner, an Edge rusher out of Alabama, was Minnesota’s second first-round pick and can step right in for Danielle Hunter.
The Vikings have plenty of youthful talent and some good veterans. It may take a year, but the Vikings have the team to be in contention for the next several years.