Minnesota made the postseason in 2019, but the team still had some glaring weaknesses at that time. Many of those weaknesses were exposed in 2020.
The Vikings defense struggled to get stops, the team’s interior offensive line didn’t protect the quarterback well and the special teams unit was chaotic as a whole.
NFL.com’s Michael Baca recently listed Minnesota’s top needs. Baca opted for offensive line, defensive line and cornerback. Here’s part of what he wrote:
“The Vikings’ defense was decimated by opposing rushers last season, with Minnesota allowing 134.4 rushing yards per game (27th in the NFL). There are a handful of veteran free-agents who could make the D-line an even bigger strength. The porous run defense and inconsistent pass rush may’ve set up the young secondary for failure last season; still, adding a defensive back wouldn’t hurt, if it can be managed.”
If Minnesota can bring in both Michael Pierce and Danielle Hunter, the defensive line will almost certainly improve. But that doesn’t mean the unit will be stellar. The Vikings still need to add defensive linemen through the draft and free agency to help the unit.
The same goes for the offensive line. For cornerback, that might be a group where the Vikings hope that Cameron Dantzler, Jeff Gladney and others make significant strides in year two.