Football
Among Vikings players, WR1 Justin Jefferson remains unchallenged as the best football player in the Twin Cities. He alone is an unquestioned elite talent on Minnesota’s roster.
Who are the other best players?
To get to the bottom of the issue, I asked writers from Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. All of Dustin Baker, Janik Eckardt, Brevan Bane, Adam New, Ali Siddiqui, and Steve Hoikkala responded. I, too, allowed my vote to get tossed into the mix. Check out the team’s most formidable talents.
Football The 10 Best Vikings Players
No. 10 — CB Byron Murphy Jr.
Byron Murphy is a player who allows the team to play better as a result of having him on the field. At his best, Murphy is a Pro Bowl corner capable of plucking a bunch of passes out of the sky. He’s a low-end CB1.
No. 9 — QB Kyler Murray
Shrinking the list down to the most talented player and not the best player could reasonably lead to Murray finishing first overall. The problem, of course, is that he hasn’t always allowed his elite talent to push him toward being an elite player. Does he prove to be a franchise quarterback in Minnesota?
No. 8 — LB Blake Cashman
An excellent athlete who thinks the game at a high level, Cashman is entering the third and final year of his contract. He should be very motivated to have a monstrous season.
No. 7 — DT Jalen Redmond
There’s still meat on the bone. Jalen Redmond has gone from a good story to a good player. Does he have better than “good” within him? If so, then the 2026 season appears to be a good time to get there now that he’s the clear top DT.
No. 6 — WR Jordan Addison
Nobody questions his talent. What has been missing, though, has been an ability to stay out of trouble off the field. So far, things have gone better in 2026 (casino noodle issue aside). The Vikings will hope that continues as the 2023 1st-Round selection chases his first ever 1,000-yard season.
No. 5 — K Will Reichard
The assassin at kicker is coming off an AP1 season. He was deadly out there and the word is that he has further refined his form to kick the ball straighter. Does he have more All Pro seasons in him? If so, then he’ll start demanding placement higher on the list.
No. 4 — RT Brian O’Neill
Mr. O’Neill, always a great athlete, has become a tremendous team leader. Does that lead to him getting extended? The rugged right tackle is older but hasn’t slowed down much, if at all. He has had a very good career and remains among the best players on the team.
No. 3 — EDGE Andrew Van Ginkel
He’s a fantastic football player. Van Ginkel is among the most athletic players on the team. I had him as the second-best player on the team but seeing him above or below the terrific OTs can’t lead to too much debate. I think he rushes the passer more with Jonathan Greenard gone, leading to 12+ sacks.
No. 2 — LT Christian Darrisaw
Seemingly the only issue hindering Christian Darrisaw is health, or lack thereof. Seeing the LT1 get and remain healthy is the key to seeing him fulfill the immense potential. I had Darrisaw at 4th on my ballot, below all of Jefferson, Van Ginkel, and O’Neill.
No. 1 — WR Justin Jefferson
All seven voters picked Justin Jefferson as the top player. As a result, he had a perfect score within the ballots. There should be zero debate about who belongs in the lead position.
Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.
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