The answer is seven, according to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell. The analyst ranked the weapons of every team and Justin Jefferson’s crew is listed 8th.
Without any doubt, Minnesota’s strength on the offensive side of the ball is the arsenal of pass-catchers, featuring one of the very best receivers in football and supported by some talented folks behind him.
Yet the club is on a downward trend, having ranked 5th in 2024 and 6th in 2025.
Barnwell explained, “There’s a tier break between the top eight teams and everyone else on this list. Even coming off his worst season as a pro, Justin Jefferson still has a deserved reputation as one of the most feared receivers in the game. He also has been healthy for five of his first six seasons in the league, which makes it easier to project a full season. And adding Jauan Jennings gave coach Kevin O’Connell an overqualified No. 3 to play behind Jefferson and Jordan Addison.”
The Vikings have had elite WR duos over the years. Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs started that luxury, followed by Diggs’ swap for Justin Jefferson and eventually Jordan Addison replacing Thielen.
The identity of the third receiver on the depth chart has changed over the years. Recently, K.J. Osborn and Jalen Nailor served in that role. Jauan Jennings was signed this offseason and arguably even stands above those two. Barnwell continued, “Both Jefferson and Addison saw their catch rates drop to career lows last season, which I feel comfortable chalking up to subpar quarterback play.”
Last year’s passing offense was a disaster for the standard Kevin O’Connell has set during his tenure. J.J. McCarthy wasn’t ready to step into Sam Darnold’s footsteps and neither Carson Wentz nor Max Brosmer could lead an explosive aerial attack.
Therefore, both Jefferson and Addison finished with disappointing stat lines. Only Nailor could replicate his 2024 numbers and earned a sweet deal with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Part of the offensive playmakers is the tight end group. Barnwell wrote about Minnesota’s TE1: “T.J. Hockenson, though, recorded the best catch rate of his career, in part because he was catching bunches of short checkdowns. The tight end hasn’t been the same player since his 2023 ACL tear, and the Vikings could really use his ability to create after the catch and up the seam to help new QB Kyler Murray this season. This is a make-or-break year for Hockenson, who will be a free agent after the campaign.”
Hockenson suffered a torn ACL late in the 2023 season and he hasn’t looked nearly as explosive ever since. His numbers dropped significantly. A saving grace is that the Vikings relied on him as a blocker last year, as the offensive line struggled to protect the passers.
The Vikings reworked his contract for this season. Instead of in 2028, he’ll head to free agency next March. Next to him, the Vikings deploy blocking specialist Josh Oliver. He’s one of the best in the business as a blocking tight end, but his impact as a pass-catcher is limited.
Barnwell isn’t impressed by the running backs: “Running back just isn’t a strength for this team. Jordan Mason is a one-dimensional ball carrier without much of an impact in the passing game, and fumbles remain a real problem for him (six across 337 touches over the past two seasons). Aaron Jones Sr. has seven fumbles of his own over that same time span, and while he can do more as a receiver, Jones is 31 and has missed significant time with injuries in two of the past three seasons. The names on the Vikings’ roster at running back and tight end might be more prominent than their actual expected level of play in 2026.” Jones was excellent in 2024, but injuries and age haven’t helped him thrive since. He’s on the wrong side of 30 and has nagging injuries, which required the Vikings to add a strong alternate. Mason was found via trade and signed a two-year deal last offseason.
They work well as a duo, but neither belongs in the conversation with the league’s top backs. Mason is a fantastic runner, but lacks prowess in the passing game, while Jones has the versatility, but no longer has the requisite explosiveness to carry an offense.
A new back could certainly be on the menu in 2027, but for now, the Vikings rely on their familiar faces.
Overall, it’s fair to rank the Vikings 8th, given the subpar 2025 season and the lack of a truly elite tight end and running back. They rank behind the Cowboys, Cardinals, 49ers, Falcons, Bengals, Rams, and Lions.
Janik Eckardt is a German sports nerd, who likes numbers and stats. He chose the Vikings to be his … More about Janik Eckardt
