<p>The Minnesota Vikings traded back into the first round to take Teddy Bridgewater in the 2014 NFL Draft after he entered the draft season as the favorite to be the first quarterback taken and a potential No. 1 overall pick. A less-than-stellar Pro Day for Bridgewater dropped him to the bottom of the first round, but he showed much upside as a rookie.</p>
<p>Having All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson lining up behind him in the offense should benefit Bridgewater in his second year so opposing defenses won’t stack the box and blitz him relentlessly and force him into bad decisions. Bridgewater needs to prove he can take the next step in his development and lead the Vikings to the playoffs.</p>
<p>He completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 2,919 yards and 14 touchdowns but threw 12 interceptions so he also has to show better ball security and make better reads and decisions in his second year. The Vikings added Mike Wallace at receiver and have a healthy Kyle Rudolph at tight end to give him more weapons, but the return of Peterson will be the biggest reason for optimism surrounding Bridgewater.</p>
<p>Teams won’t be able to defend the Vikings as a one-dimensional offense any longer and they’ll be in many third-and-short situations instead of the third-and-longs that stymied the offense last year. He could be the biggest breakout candidate at the position this year.</p>. Quarterback. Minnesota Vikings. Teddy Bridgewater. 5. player. 60