Vikings Praised for Picking Up ‘Elite’ Player During Offseason

The Minnesota Vikings have made a slew of moves during the offseason, and many of them are in hopes to surround quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the best possible offense during what will pretty much be the former University of Michigan player’s rookie season. Under the direction of Kevin O’Connell, the Vikings ended the regular season with a 14-3 record in 2024, so they’re hoping to build on that in 2025.

During the offseason, teams do trades and, of course, the draft to find new players to fit their changing needs. Now, Dalton Wasserman at PFF has released a roster naming the biggest impact offseason acquisition for each NFL team based on PFF data and research, including for the Minnesota Vikings.

Top Offseason Acquisition for the Minnesota Vikings

In the piece, Wasserman names OG Will Fries the top offseason acquisition for the team. He had a 86.9 PFF grade in 2024. Fries inked a free agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings during the offseason after playing for the Indianapolis Colts. The Vikings signed a big five-year, $88 million deal with him.

“Will Fries was on his way to a breakout season before suffering a season-ending injury in the Colts’ fifth game,” Wasserman said. “During the time that he did get to play, he recorded a terrific 86.9 PFF grade that would’ve been a top-five mark at the position if he had played enough snaps to qualify.”

He adds, “Considering Minnesota’s guards ranked just 24th in PFF grade and the team will be getting J.J. McCarthy for his first season as their starting quarterback, it’s understandable that they would take the chance on Fries’ small sample of elite production.”

Grading the Vikings Going Into 2025

Trevor Sikkema of PFF has a separate feature out May 13 grading all of the NFL teams for what moves they’re made during the offseason.

For the Vikings, the team got a B+, so a pretty good grade. In the piece, he notes that the Vikings not having any staffing changes during the offseason is a great thing.

He adds, “The team is swapping J.J. McCarthy for Sam Darnold at quarterback and made big splashes on the interior offensive and defensive lines in free agency, which was key. The Vikings earned a 62.2 PFF overall grade at guard and center last year, and a 56.7 PFF overall grade at defensive tackle.”

However, Sikkema says the Vikings “didn’t navigate the draft too well, eschewing a trade-down despite having limited ammo and then making a luxury pick at wide receiver in the third round. But Donovan Jackson could be a key piece for one of the better offensive lines in the league now.”

The team with the top grade in the report is the Chicago Bears, garnering an A+.

“Ben Johnson is now at the helm of a team with a much stronger offensive line and plenty of high-ceiling rookies,” Sikkema stated.

The team at the opposite end is the New Orleans Saints, which received a D-. “New Orleans is in rough shape following a lackluster offseason and Derek Carr’s retirement,” Sikkema stated.