One NFL team that is getting very little respect going into the season, but will likely surprise people this season is the Minnesota Vikings. While the team struggled last season especially on the defensive side of the ball several factors are working on the team’s behalf to make the 2021 season a year where the team could actually be a playoff contender.
Along with taking a look at why the Minnesota Vikings might be the surprise team of the year this season, this week’s NFL Draft Notebook also takes a look at the following
- An SEC running back who is currently flying under the radar
- The top fullbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft
- A couple of NFL rookies who are already impressing their team
- And much more
NFL Draft Notebook: Surprise Team of the Year
While we have yet to enter training camp a team that looks like it could make significant improvements this season is the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are primed to go from a 7-9 team in 2019 to an 11 or 12 win season for several reasons including a much-improved defense, playing in a weak division and still having one of the best offenses in the NFL.
Last season, the Minnesota Vikings’ biggest weakness was their defense which ranked 29th in points per game allowing an average of 30 points a game. One of the reasons for the team’s struggle on this side of the ball was season-ending injuries to some of its top defenders including Danielle Hunter, Anthony Barr, and Mike Hughes. When these players were healthy in 2019 Minnesota actually had one of the best defenses in the NFL, and with them healthy this season it would be a surprise if the team did not have a bounce-back year.
The Minnesota Vikings defense will be also be helped by several key additions they made this offseason. One of the biggest offseason additions was defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson who comes over from the New York Giants.
Tomlinson should team up with Michael Pierce to give the Vikings a much-improved run defense. Minnesota was also able to get a veteran presence in the secondary with the signing of eight-time Pro Bowler Patrick Peterson.
While the Minnesota Vikings had their share of struggles on the defensive side of the ball last year, they had one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL. They finished 11th in scoring averaging close to 27 points a game. Minnesota also had one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL last season rushing for over 140 yards a game. There is no reason to think the team will be weaker in this area next season and in fact, could even put up better numbers this season.
Even though the Minnesota Vikings significantly upgraded their roster this offseason, one of the biggest reasons they will be much improved this season is the drama that is going on in Green Bay. If the Packers end up trading Aaron Rodgers or he sits out the first part of the season it will significantly hurt their chances of winning the NFC North.
If Green Bay is not a threat it should make the Minnesota Vikings the favorite to win the division as both the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions are a couple of years from being actual playoff contenders.
If the Minnesota Vikings can actually stay healthy on defense this year, and they play anywhere close to their 2019 level it would not be a shock if they are a true playoff contender and the NFC North champs.
2022 NFL Draft Sleeper of the Week
It may come as a surprise that Kentucky running back Chris Rodriguez was one of the more productive backs in the SEC last season. Rodriguez led the Wildcats in rushing with 785 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2020 despite splitting time with AJ Rose. However, his most impressive stat might have been his 6.6 yards per carry average which led the SEC and finished 17th nationally.
While Rodriguez had a strong season last year, this coming season could be an even bigger year for him. The main reason his production will likely increase is that he will no longer be splitting time this season which will increase his touches. His production will also likely see an increase due to the hiring of new offensive coordinator Liam Coen who has already stated he wants to see Rodriguez more involved in the passing game.
When projecting Rodriguez to the next level the first thing working in his favor is his power as a runner. Coming in at 5-foot-11 and 224 pounds he is one of the bigger backs in the class and has a physical style to match up with his size. Along with his size, what makes Rodriguez such a tough back to bring down is his ability to keep his balance when hit and to keep his feet moving on contact.
One of the biggest issues Rodriguez has coming into the season is that he only has two catches over the past two seasons. Part of this was due to Kentucky not having a very sophisticated passing game last season and rarely threw the ball to any of its running backs last season. Even with this being the case Rodriguez is going to need to show scouts he has the hands to be a complete running back and not just someone you can hand the ball off to.
The 2021 season will be a big year for Rodriguez as he will need to prove several things this season. One of these is that he can hold up to the pounding a feature back faces. He will also need to prove he can thrive in a more pass-friendly offense. If he can prove to scouts he is up to the challenge in both of these areas next season it would not be a shock if he ended up being a fourth or fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
- Memphis’s Sean Dykes was one of the more productive tight ends in college football last season catching 47 passes for 581 yards and seven touchdowns. However, he likely lacks the size (6-foot-2 and 224 pounds) to play tight end in the NFL. His best role in the NFL will be as an H-back due to this limitation. He could thrive at this spot though as he shows good athletic ability and the speed to stretch a defense. One area he could improve on is his blocking since he is not very physical in this area.
- Another player who will likely have to shift positions in the NFL is Zander Horvath of Purdue. While Horvath plays running back for the Boilermakers his size and lack of speed make him a better fullback prospect. What teams will love about Horvath is his ability to hurt teams with the ball in his hands. Last season, he rushed for 442 yards and also picked up 304 receiving yards. One concern they might have with him is his blocking ability as he was rarely asked to block in college.
- Iowa middle linebacker Jack Campbell is someone who could have a breakthrough season this year. Campbell was forced to miss the first three games of the 2020 season due to mono but still was able to register 29 tackles, four fumble recoveries, and one pick in just 141 snaps. What makes Campbell stand out as a prospect is his nose for the ball and his high football IQ.
Top fullback in 2022 NFL Draft: Jeremiah Hall, Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Hall is the top fullback in the 2022 NFL Draft for several reasons. One of these is his outstanding blocking ability. He does a terrific job of sticking on his blocks and has the power to control his man. He is a proficient receiver as well having caught 18 passes last season. It would not be a shock to see Hall drafted early on day three of the draft which is very high for a fullback.
Biggest risk: Jamale Carothers, Navy
The main reason why Jamale Carothers is a risky prospect is that he was recently dismissed from the Naval Academy due to an honor code offence. While there is not much information on what he did to be dismissed this will still be a red flag for NFL teams. It is also a bit surprising that Carothers has not joined another program despite being dismissed in May.
Top small school fullback: Clay Moss, Weber State
Weber State’s Clay Moss is one of the better run-blocking fullbacks in this year’s class. He is a tough physical blocker, who shows good strength despite being undersized. Along with helping out as a blocker, Moss shows reliable hands and over his career has caught 19 passes for 166 yards.
Special teams standout: Monte Pottebaum, Iowa
Iowa’s Monte Pottebaum is not only one of the best blocking fullbacks in college football he is also a core special teams player for the Hawkeyes. The main role Pottebaum serves on special teams is as a blocker on units such as kickoff return. His ability to help out on special teams should help Pottebaum make an NFL team whether that be in 2022 or 2023.
Overall Rankings
1. Jeremiah Hall, Oklahoma
2. Zander Horvath, Purdue
3. Monte Pottebaum, Iowa
4. Houston Heimuli, Stanford
5. Clay Moss, Weber State
6. Roger Carter, Georgia State
7. Sean Dykes, Memphis
8. John Chenal, Wisconsin
9. Brayden Willis, Oklahoma
10. Chigoziem Okonkwo, Maryland
11. Ben Miles, Kansas
12. Jamale Carothers, Navy
13. Giovanni Fauolo Sr., UNLV
- A day three pick who is already getting first-team reps is Los Angeles Rams tight end Jacob Harris. While the main reason Harris is getting these reps is that starting tight end Tyler Higbee is not taking part in minicamp he has still impressed the Rams coaching staff. What has been impressive with Harris is his outstanding athletic ability and large catch radius. It would not be a surprise if the Rams lined up Harris at several spots next season including splitting him out wide and playing him as an inline blocker. Harris easily could finish the 2021 season with 20 to 30 catches which is not bad for a day three developmental tight end.
- Perhaps no player has seen his stock drop more in the past season than quarterback Jamie Newman. Newman had an outstanding 2019 season where he threw for 2,868 yards and 32 touchdowns to go along with 574 rushing yards. After the 2019 season, Newman decided to transfer to Georgia but then decided to opt-out of the 2020 season to focus on the NFL Draft. This was not a wise choice as Newman ended up going undrafted in the 2021 NFL Draft. He was signed as a free agent after the draft by the Philadelphia Eagles but didn’t even last six weeks with the team before being cut. It will be interesting to see if Newman is eventually picked up by another team, or if his NFL career is already over.
- One quarterback that has looked good so far is New England’s Mac Jones. Going into the 2021 NFL Draft Jones was billed as a smart player with great accuracy and so far he has lived up to this billing. In both minicamp and OTAs, he has shown great placement on his passes and has thrown with good touch. He has also picked up the Patriots’ offense quickly despite having a bunch of information thrown his way. While Jones will likely be the backup at the start of the season it would not be a shocker if he became the Patriots starting quarterback by midseason.
- San Francisco 49ers running back Trey Sermon is showing why he was regarded as the most underrated running back in the 2021 NFL Draft. Along with seeing plenty of first-team reps in OTAs he has also done a good job of picking up the team offense. Sermon played in a similar scheme at Ohio State to what the 49ers run, and he has also spent plenty of time in the film room getting familiar with their offensive scheme. While Kyle Shanahan likes to split the carries between multiple backs it is easy to see Sermon being the 49ers leading ball carrier by the end of the season.
- It should come as no surprise that Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end Noah Gray has impressed both Travis Kelce and Andy Reid with how well he has looked in the passing game. This was an area Gray excelled in at college having led all ACC tight ends in receptions in 2019 with 51 catches. The true test with Gray will come in training camp when he is in pads and is asked to block, which is something he struggled with in college.
2022 NFL Draft News and Notes
- 247Sports came out with a recent study on how teams do with developing five-star talent. The top team to develop these players was Alabama who had 49% of their five-star recruits become first-round picks, which is 31% higher than the average in this area. Not surprisingly the worst team at developing their five-star recruits was Texas who only had 7% of their five-star recruits become first-round picks.
- Kentucky recently picked up a good linebacker when Jacquez Jones decided to transfer from Ole Miss. Jones was a two-year starter for the Rebels and led the team in tackles last season with 75.
- Former Memphis defensive tackle Joseph Dorceus has transferred to Tulane. Last season, Dorceus recorded 30 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. While Dorceus has the production to catch the NFL’s attention the fact he is only 6-foot and 277 pounds will likely cause him to go undrafted.
- Tulane picked up another impact player via the transfer portal last week as well when Shae Wyatt decided to join the Green Wave. Wyatt comes from Central Missouri where he was a 2019 Division II All-American.
- Missouri is another school that picked up two transfers last week. The Tigers were able to land two of Tulsa’s starting cornerbacks in Akayleb Evans and Allie Green IV. Evans is the higher regarded prospect of the two and chose Missouri over Notre Dame and Texas. While Green is not regarded as high as Evans by NFL scouts he was still able to record 28 tackles and one pick last year.