The Minnesota Vikings have some star power on the roster, namely with Justin Jefferson catching passes and doing the griddy on a weekly basis. He’s No. 6 overall and No. 1 among receivers on Pro Football Network’s NFL Top 100 List.
But there are other Vikings ready for breakout campaigns this season who may find themselves on next year’s Top 100 list. Here are five to keep an eye on.
5 Vikings Poised To Break Out in 2024
Sam Darnold, Quarterback
Sam Darnold was a standout quarterback at USC and then the No. 3 overall pick by the New York Jets in 2018. He’s not exactly an under-the-radar prospect or underreported figure.
Darnold has never lived up to the hype that comes with that kind of pedigree, but he’s also never been in a situation this favorable. His best season to date was in 2019, when he played and started in 13 games. That year, Darnold threw for 3,024 yards and 19 touchdowns.
His top two targets? Running back Le’Veon Bell and receiver Jamison Crowder.
Suffice it to say, the pass-catching tandem of Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson is far superior, not to mention the fact that Aaron Jones will come out of the backfield and tight end T.J. Hockenson will come off the reserve list before mid-season.
A 4,000-yard season, along with 25-30 touchdowns, is in the realm of possibility. And that’s a legitimate breakout season.
Dallas Turner, EDGE
The second pass rusher off the board should certainly be a high-probability breakout player. After one training camp and a few preseason reps, it looks like Dallas Turner is poised to fulfill that promise.
In his preseason debut on Aug. 10 against the Las Vegas Raiders, Turner twice made his presence felt and announced his arrival in the NFL.
The first time came on a 3rd-and-1 from the Vikings’ 16-yard-line when he brought quarterback Aidan O’Connell to the ground after he completed a pass to his tight end. O’Connell stayed in the game, but it took him a moment to recover from the hit.
Moments later, Turner got to O’Connell in time to record a sack. It was 3rd-and-goal from Minnesota’s 3-yard-line, and Turner beat three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Andrus Peat around the edge. The sack ended the Raiders’ drive and forced them to settle for a field goal.
It also ended any doubt that Turner would be an effective pass rusher at the NFL level.
Johnny Mundt, Tight End
While Turner provided evidence of his impending breakout during preseason games, a teammate of his on the other side of the ball does most of his impressing during practices.
Tight end Johnny Mundt, who is behind starter Hockenson and backup Josh Oliver on Minnesota’s depth chart when everyone is healthy, is consistently mentioned by reporters who observe practice. And it’s virtually always in a positive way.
So often, football coaches are hesitant to call out individual performances, good or bad. Football is a team sport and no figure is more apt to promote that than the head coach.
There are exceptions, though, and Mundt is one of them.
"I believe Johnny Mundt is the best 3rd TE in the NFL. If there was a category for that, Johnny would certainly get that in my opinion." – Kevin O'Connell pic.twitter.com/IMbgJmkxmg
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 12, 2023
Mundt’s opportunity to break out will happen immediately in the regular season because Hockenson will open 2024 on the short-term injured reserve list. This means he’ll miss at least the first four games as he finishes up a comeback from ACL and MCL injuries sustained last Dec. 24.
That means the NFL’s best TE3, in O’Connell’s view, has become the Vikings’ TE2.
Josh Metellus, Defensive Back
A similar narrative to Mundt is developing for defensive back Josh Metellus, except it’s not just O’Connell singing the praises. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has also been effusive in praising Metellus.
Flores’ favorite trait of Metellus is his versatility. Metellus has demonstrated the ability to line up all over the field on defense, and he’s also a special-teams stalwart for Minnesota. In 2023, Metellus logged 1,065 defensive snaps, third-most on the team behind only safeties Cam Bynum and Harrison Smith.
When forced to list a position behind his name, the Vikings put safety. However, Metellus logged snaps at outside cornerback, linebacker, and even on the defensive line in 2023.
With versatility and production like that, it won’t take long for Metellus to start catching praise from more than just his head coach and coordinator.
Will Reichard, Kicker
It took rookie kicker Will Reichard virtually no time in training camp to beat out John Parker Romo for the job. There really wasn’t much doubt Reichard would eventually win the job, but sealing the deal that quickly is a good sign.
The early part of training camp was hardly the only time Reichard was able to shine, though.
In fact, he hit a game-winning field goal in the Vikings’ preseason opener, connecting from 38 yards to give Minnesota a 24-23 win. A couple weeks later, he concluded his first NFL preseason in style by connecting on two extra points and splitting the uprights on field-goal tries from 20, 31, 33, and 57 yards.
Join Theo Ash: Your Football Opinion
Listen to the Your Football Opinion with Theo Ash! Click the embedded player below to listen, or you can find this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms. Be sure to subscribe and leave us a five-star review! Rather watch instead? Find us on the Pro Football Network YouTube Channel!