The 2021 NFL season is finally upon us, and few divisions are as intriguing as the NFC North. The reigning champion Packers might be entering their final year with Aaron Rodgers, the face of the franchise. The cellar-dwelling Lions are kicking off a new era under Dan Campbell. The Bears are fresh off their most promising quarterback addition in years after drafting Justin Fields. And the Vikings might quietly be the most underrated of all, with Kirk Cousins entering somewhat of a critical year under center, Mike Zimmer looking to return his defense to form and veterans like Patrick Peterson on board for a potential playoff run.
What's new and what's familiar about the Vikings entering 2021? Here's a full rundown of their depth chart and 53-man roster after preseason cuts, including projected Week 1 starters at every position on both sides of the ball:
Note: Asterisks denote rookies.
Offense
| Starter | Backup | Depth | Depth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
QB | Kirk Cousins | Kellen Mond* | ||
RB | Dalvin Cook | Alexander Mattison | Kene Nwangwu* | |
FB | C.J. Ham | |||
WR | Justin Jefferson | Ihmir Smith-Marsette* | ||
WR | Adam Thielen | Dede Westbrook | ||
WR | K.J. Osborn | Dan Chisena | ||
TE | Irv Smith Jr. (IR) | Chris Herndon | Tyler Conklin | Brandon Dillon |
LT | Rashod Hill | Christian Darrisaw* | ||
LG | Ezra Cleveland | |||
C | Garrett Bradbury | Mason Cole | ||
RG | Oli Udoh | Wyatt Davis* | ||
RT | Brian O'Neill | Blake Brandel |
The Vikings' offense looks largely the same since the last time Minnesota took the field, save for a major change at left tackle, where veteran Riley Reiff has been swapped for Hill and, ideally/eventually, first-round draft pick Christian Darrisaw. Even if Darrisaw is just serviceable down the road, he should replace Reiff adequately. Gone also is tight end Kyle Rudolph, who said goodbye after 10 seasons and gave way to Smith, a breakout candidate before undergoing knee surgery. In their place figures to be a committee of Conklin and Herndon, just acquired from the Jets after several uneven seasons.
The biggest pieces, of course, reside at QB, RB and WR: Cousins has been mostly good but rarely elite and now has a more gifted No. 2 lurking behind him for motivation; Mond probably isn't ready to challenge for snaps, but he's at least got playmaking upside and warranted a big Day 2 investment from the front office. Cook remains the centerpiece of the offense, though Mattison is solid insurance. And Jefferson emerged in 2020 as this club's most electric weapon. It's important that he and Thielen stay healthy, as the Vikings' WR depth leaves quite a bit to be desired.
Defense
| Starter | Backup | Depth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE | Danielle Hunter | Jalyn Holmes | |
| DT | Michael Pierce | Armon Watts | James Lynch |
| DT | Dalvin Tomlinson | Sheldon Richardson | |
| DE | Stephen Weatherly | D.J. Wonnum | |
| OLB | Anthony Barr | Blake Lynch | Ryan Connelly |
| MLB | Eric Kendricks | Troy Dye | |
| OLB | Nick Vigil | Chazz Surratt* | |
| CB | Patrick Peterson | Mackensie Alexander | Harrison Hand |
| CB | Bashaud Breeland | Cameron Dantzler | Kris Boyd |
| FS | Xavier Woods | Camryn Bynum* | |
| SS | Harrison Smith | Josh Metellus |
Zimmer's defenses have almost always had top 10 finishes since the coach took over in 2014, but that changed in 2020, with injuries and inexperience ravaging that side of the ball. The new faces on "D" reinforce that, with the Vikings paying Tomlinson, Peterson and Breeland to bring stability to the front four and secondary. All three are more than capable of doing just that, but the unit is also asking lower-tier vets like Vigil and Woods to replace departed starters Eric Wilson and Anthony Harris, who both fled to Philadelphia.
The biggest question mark, not so unlike 2020, is at pass rusher. Hunter is coming off a season lost to injury, but even if he's back, happy and healthy (and in that case, he's easily one of the game's top defensive ends), the Vikings lack a proven complement. Tomlinson should help up front, and perhaps the added beef on the interior will mask that deficiency. Between Tomlinson, Pierce and familiar returning face Sheldon Richardson, Minnesota has one heck of a wall in the trenches.
It's time for the Vikings to make their move in the NFC North. Can Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson get the job done? Download the CBS Sports app and get the latest news, insights, and surprising predictions from our team of experts. If you already have the app, make sure to favorite the Vikings to get the latest news quickly.