In the offseason, Minnesota saw a mass overhaul of its defense. The Vikings replaced struggling veterans with rookies and more inexperienced players. The gamble did not pay off in the short term.
Minnesota missed out on the playoffs after going 7-9 and its new-look defense can be blamed. Granted, the team had to deal with a variety of different players suffering injuries. But still, this was a Vikings defense that ended up exposed for its lack of depth.
It’s not all bad, though. Minnesota had some players emerge as standouts. The Vikings didn’t look good on this side of the ball in 2020, but the future could be bright.
Here are the highest graded players from the defense with at least 100 snaps in 2020, as compiled by Pro Football Focus: