3 bold predictions for Minnesota Vikings offseason after NFL Draft
By John Buhler
With a return to the NFC playoffs potentially on the horizon, let’s predict some things that will absolutely happen when it comes to the Minnesota Vikings heading into next football season.
The Minnesota Vikings have as good of a shot as anyone to be one of seven playoff teams in the NFC this upcoming NFL season.
Though they play in the same NFC North as the Green Bay Packers, it is not like the Chicago Bears will be the least bit competent or the Detroit Lions will be world beaters. That leaves Minnesota in prime position to finish in second place again and potentially push for a top-seven seed in their conference under a new administration. Of course, they still have some more moves to make.
Here are three bold predictions that will 100 percent come true when it comes to the Vikings.
Minnesota Vikings: 3 bold predictions for offseason after 2022 NFL Draft
3. Ty Chandler will be an absolute stud for the Minnesota Vikings as a rookie
Though much will be made about Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s first draft running the Vikings’ ship, Minnesota drafted a fantastic player in the fifth round in former UNC running back Ty Chandler by way of Tennessee. Even if the Tar Heels failed to live up to massive expectations last season, Chandler is an incredible running back talent who only further supplements at great Vikings corps.
At Tennessee, he played in the same backfield with Eric Gray. Though the Vols went to hell in a hand basket in the final year of the disastrous Jeremy Pruitt era in Knoxville, everybody in SEC country knew what Tennessee had in their backfield. While Chandler will take snaps away from Alexander Mattison, look for the Vikings to battering ram the opposition by going ball control.
With a strong running back group, this will allow Kirk Cousins to flourish in year one running Kevin O’Connell’s offensive system again. Will there be growing pains for the rest of the offense in 2022? No doubt, but look for Minnesota to quickly establish an identity with some good, old-fashioned ground-and-pound this fall. Chandler will become a fan favorite as a rookie for sure.
Not to say this is the best pick Adofo-Mensah made, but Chandler is certainly a candidate for that.