Football Outsiders on who the Vikings’ Defensive MVP

is I was going to go ahead and do the final question of our series with Scott Kacsmar of Football Outsiders yesterday Womens Matt Wile Jersey , but I didn’t want it to get run over by the news and notes from the All-Important Third Preseason Game鈩? In light of that, and the fact that SLOTERMANIA IS RUNNIN’ WILD, BROTHER, that was probably for the best.But, we do have one more question that I posed to Scott in conjunction with the release of the 2018 Football Outsiders Almanac. We stick with the defensive side of the football, and I ask him a question that we’ve had numerous discussions about in this space before.Sticking with the defense, of all the great players the Vikings have on that side of the football, who is the one player from Mike Zimmer’s defense that they can least afford to lose for a significant period of time, in your opinion?I’ve long maintained that Harrison Smith is the most valuable player in the Minnesota defense, simply because of the versatility that he offers. Said versatility then allows Mike Zimmer and George Edwards to do a lot of different things with the other parts of the defense because they can count on Smith doing his job on pretty much every play.But Scott’s answer of Xavier Rhodes, and the justification behind it, makes a lot of sense. We know that Rhodes is one of the NFL’s top corners, and the Vikings’ #2 corner, Trey Waynes Dan Bailey Jersey , could probably be a #1 corner on a lot of teams. But if Rhodes were to go out, Waynes moves up to that top corner spot, and then everyone else moves up as well. While Mackensie Alexander has shown some improvement and Mike Hughes has all the talent in the world, they both still carry a lot of question marks.If the Vikings were to lose Smith, they have a lot of solid talent behind him, particularly with the addition of George Iloka. Iloka, Andrew Sendejo, and even Anthony Harris could start on a lot of different NFL teams, and if they had to step in for Smith for an extended period, there would be a slight drop-off, but I don’t think it would cause the sort of ripple effect that an injury to Rhodes might cause.I still think that Harrison Smith is the best player on the Minnesota defense, but the team could probably absorb his loss more easily than they could losing Rhodes for an extended period. Hopefully we won’t have to find out either way.Thanks to Scott Kacsmar for sitting down and taking the time to answer our questions about the 2018 Minnesota Vikings. And, once again, be sure to grab yourself a copy of the Football Outsiders 2018 Almanac for your football reading pleasure. Differing positions http://www.thevikingslockerroom.com/authentic-randy-moss-jersey , same idea."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Vikings 2018 SeasonVikings 2019 OffseasonU.S. Bank StadiumMinnesota Vikings PodcastsNFL DraftNFL Draft ProfilesNFL Mock DraftThe top three players the Vikings should choose at #18New,33commentsDiffering positions, same idea.CDTShareTweetShareShareThe top three players the Vikings should choose at #18Football at just about every level is determined by three units on the field: quarterback, offensive line, and defensive line. Notice the last four teams remaining in last year’s playoffs: the four best teams at the line of scrimmage. Take it a step further and look at the Super Bowl: New England was the best coached team on the offensive and defensive line, and the Rams had arguably the highest level of talent on both sides as well.Now, look at the Vikings comparatively to both teams. Other than Aaron Donald, neither team has close to the level of talent on the defensive side of the ball, but neither were undone by poor offensive line play either. This is where the Vikings fell flat, and as deep as the 2019 draft class is for offensive linemen, more times than not, rookie offensive linemen do not make the impact expected coming in. That being said, there are other ways to protect the quarterback that go beyond the offensive line. For starters, running the ball effectively makes the quarterback less prone to hits even from a mathematical standpoint alone. It also helps to utilize multiple tight ends Womens Ameer Abdullah Jersey , and proceed to let the quarterback dictate if they are protecting, or going out for a pass. Thus, my top choice falls there, and let’s get to it:1: T.J. Hockenson, Tight End, IowaIt’s not THAT often that a tight end is seen in the regard of Hockenson. There are analysts who firmly believe he could go in the top 10 picks of this draft, and more than likely could be the first skill position player off the board. Running back and wide receiver is not particularly impressive in this draft, which is quietly a major factor to Hockenson’s massive ascent up draft boards. His combine numbers were good as well, posting a 4.7 40 yard dash and a 37.5 inch vertical. He should put on some weight however, as 251 pounds is probably a little under what an NFL tight end should be playing at. His blocking however was outstanding in college, and that will go a long way to beef up the protection for Minnesota’s $84 million dollar quarterback. As a route runner, he’s one of the best as a tight end to have ever entered the NFL Draft. His tape shows tremendous fluidity moving laterally. I know the top need for the Vikings should be offensive line, but Hockenson would be too good to pass up on, and could have greater returns as far as immediate impact goes.2: Jonah Williams Marcus Epps Minnesota Vikings Jerseys , OL, AlabamaLike Hockenson, it’s a massive stretch to believe that Williams will fall this far. However, the number of pass rushers and defensive linemen, as well as teams who will reach for quarterbacks could perpetuate a drop for offensive linemen in what happens to be an excellent class for them. Per NFL.com, Williams allowed zero sacks and missed only 3 assignments on 920 snaps during the 2018 campaign. On tape, he’s not a mauler, but his footwork and quick hands make him difficult for defensive linemen to beat. What’s more, coming into the NFL with championship pedigree is something that can’t be coached, or quantified in contract negotiations. As per the CBA, the value of first round picks drops for the latter half of the first round. So, if he were to fall to the Vikings, the value would be as good as any, at least from a speculative standpoint. 3: Ed Oliver Minnesota Vikings Jerseys 2019 , DL, HoustonHeading into the 2018 season, there was a raging debate as to whether Oliver or Nick Bosa would be the first pick taken in the draft. But a year where Oliver had some durability issues that have seen his draft stock slide a bit, in some mocks to as far as pick 21 (Seattle). Nonetheless, there are scouts and executives who believe that Oliver is an Aaron Donald type player.A bit undersized with tremendous upper body strength and even better quickness. He also has a strong understanding of how offensive linemen are trying to block him from one play to the next, which is something that takes most defensive tackles in the NFL 3 years to properly understand (Linval Joseph is actually a good example of this). This pick definitely would be getting away from the Vikings greatest need of protecting Cousins, but it’d be so tough to justify not taking a player who could be an all-pro talent on an already very good defensive line.If two of these players are available when the Vikings are on the clock, it could be their toughest 1st round decision in quite some time. Whatever Rick Spielman chooses, this pick could define the rest of his and Mike Zimmer’s tenure in the Twin Cities.