Vikings Boast 2 of NFL’s Top-Rated Rookies Through Week 11
Advanced stats confirm that the Minnesota Vikings have assembled a strong group of rookie talent in 2023.
The NFL’s top-15 rookies through Week 11 were revealed by Pro Football Focus (PFF) on Wednesday, November 22. The rankings were determined by the website’s own system, which goes beyond basic counting statistics to assess quality. It was less surprising that two Vikings made the list than that none of them went by Jordan Addison.
Ivan Pace Jr., an undrafted linebacker, was the first, going in at number 11.
The Vikings’ linebacker made an impression as a run defender in Week 11, according to PFF’s Mason Cameron. He received a good mark on 46.7% of his run-defense snaps and did not receive a single negative grade. That translated into an amazing 92.5 run-defense grade for the game, his highest mark of the season.”
Third-round pick and No. 15 pick Mekhi Blackmon, a cornerback, was the second rookie from Minnesota to make the list.
“This season, Blackmon has been targeted 27 times, but he’s only allowed 17 catches, tallying five pass breakups and one interception,” wrote Cameron. “He ranks third in the class with a forced incompletion rate of 22.2% for the season.”
For the Vikings, Jordan Addison is having a breakout rookie campaign.
After 11 games, Pace has a 76.8 overall playing grade, while Blackmon’s is 74.0. Addison, who has an outstanding 71.5 player rating of his own and has been extremely productive in the traditional sense, is closing in on them. He has been the team’s top wide receiver for the last six games, stepping in for All-Pro Justin Jefferson.
According to Pro Football Reference, Addison has made 48 catches for 647 yards and 7 touchdowns in 11 games—eight of which he started. Additionally, he is in charge of 27 first-down plays.
After Week 5 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Jefferson pulled his hamstring, which allowed Addison to take the lead in the position group. The Vikings’ 21-year-old first-round pick (No. 23 overall) continued to produce after quarterback Kirk Cousins went down for the season with a torn Achilles tendon in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers.
Regarding his availability to play on Monday Night Football on November 27 against the division foe Chicago Bears, Jefferson is doubtful. Though the Vikings have a bye the next week, there have been hints that he might miss that game. Jefferson won’t be back in the starting lineup when Minnesota plays the Las Vegas Raiders on December 10 if that turns out to be the case.
QB Jaren Hall of the Vikings could also be a good draft pick in the near future.
Quarterback Jaren Hall is another youngster for the Vikings that could someday be worth watching if given the chance.
The injury to Cousins gave the fifth-round selection his opportunity to start. But in Week 9, Hall was hit with a concussion in the first quarter against the Atlanta Falcons, which allowed Josh Dobbs, who was newly acquired, to take over as the team’s offensive leader.
It now seems that Dobbs will have the last laugh as he leads Minnesota to victories against the New Orleans Saints the next week and in the comeback game.
Depending on roster turnover, the Vikings might give Hall another chance as early as the next season. Although the cousins have shown a desire to move back to Minnesota, contract specifics may apply. In March, Dobbs will also be available as a free agent.
