The Top 5 Vikings on Offense Entering 2025

Sep 22, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) against the Houston Texans in the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images. Following up on my Top 5 Vikings on defense article, it is the turn of the offense. The decisions were even more difficult on this side of the ball, with Minnesota having a loaded offense under head coach Kevin O’Connell’s watch. The Top 5 Vikings on Offense Entering 2025 Firstly, there are the unknown quantities of J.J. McCarthy and Donovan Jackson, who will be hoping to play their way into consideration this year, but with no track record to speak of, are not considered this time. Aaron Jones is a very good veteran running back, but also doesn’t make the cut, nor does new center Ryan Kelly. One player who was very close to making the list was new right guard Will Fries. His 86.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus for the first five games of last season was top-5 worthy. However, that’s a small sample size, as he had never reached those heights before and was cut short by injury. As of right now, this is my top 5 Vikings on offense. 5. Jordan Addison In the shadow of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison has entered the league and quietly — on the field at least — became a very good wide receiver. Off-field problems have been a nuisance that the Vikings’ top brass will hope he’s grown out of, but on the field, he has been exceptional in his role as the Vikings’ WR2 — a touchdown machine with 20 total touchdowns to his name through just 32 games. Dec 8, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) celebrates his catch against the Atlanta Falcons during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images. One milestone he has yet to reach is a 1000-receiving yards season, falling just short in his first two years in the league. That should be a target for this season, although the potential for a three-game ban due to the DUI charges that still hang over him would make that more difficult. 4. T.J. Hockenson A bit of a forgotten man in the Vikings offense, T.J. Hockenson played at the level of a top 3 tight end in the league following his trade to Minnesota from the Detroit Lions. A torn ACL stopped him in his tracks and caused him to miss the end of the 2023 season and the first half of the 2024 season. When he returned, the Vikings had a new starting QB in Sam Darnold, and Hockenson wasn’t as effective as he had been before the injury. Whether that was part of the process of coming back from the injury or he just never built the same chemistry with Darnold that he did with Kirk Cousins, I expect more from the Viking TE1 this season. Nov 17, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (87) waves to the crowd against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images 453979615453444. He will have a full preseason to sharpen his skills and build a rapport with McCarthy. A first 1000-receiving yards season should also be a goal for Hockenson. He would have almost certainly gotten it in 2023 had the injury not cut his season two games short. Zero touchdowns from his 10 games last season felt like a strange anomaly that must be rectified. Hockenson is too good to be drawing a blank over that many games, so O’Connell and McCarthy need to find a way to get the ball in his hands when the team is in the red zone. 3. Brian O’Neill While there has been much change across the Vikings’ offensive line in recent seasons, Brian O’Neill has been a constant at right tackle. The reason? He’s simply very good at his job. Since getting the starting job in his rookie season back in 2018, O’Neill has been nothing short of dependable, whether it’s creating lanes for the running back or keeping his quarterback clean in the pocket.