The Minnesota Vikings have been active this offseason, making a variety of moves aimed at building a strong offense around rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the former University of Michigan standout. After finishing the 2024 season with an impressive 14-3 record under head coach Kevin O’Connell, the team is looking to build on that success in 2025.
As is typical during the offseason, teams pursue trades and make draft picks to address evolving needs. Recently, Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus (PFF) identified the most impactful offseason acquisition for each NFL team, including the Vikings, using PFF metrics and analysis.
Vikings’ Top Offseason Addition
According to Wasserman, Minnesota’s most significant pickup is offensive guard Will Fries. He earned an outstanding 86.9 PFF grade in 2024 before a season-ending injury cut his year short in Week 5 with the Colts. The Vikings signed Fries to a substantial five-year, $88 million deal in free agency.
“Will Fries was on the verge of a breakout before his injury,” said Wasserman. “His performance in limited action would’ve ranked among the top five at his position if he had played enough snaps.”
Wasserman added that given Minnesota’s guards were rated 24th by PFF last season and McCarthy is stepping in as a first-time starting QB, it makes sense for the team to take a chance on Fries’ promising, though limited, performance.
Evaluating Minnesota’s Offseason
In a separate analysis published on May 13, PFF’s Trevor Sikkema gave the Vikings a B+ grade for their offseason moves. He highlighted the continuity in the coaching staff as a positive factor.
Sikkema noted that the Vikings are moving forward with McCarthy at quarterback in place of Sam Darnold, while also bolstering both their interior offensive and defensive lines—areas that needed improvement after underwhelming performances last season (62.2 PFF grade for guards/centers and 56.7 for defensive tackles).
However, he criticized the Vikings’ draft strategy, pointing out that they avoided trading down despite limited draft capital and used a third-round pick on a wide receiver—a move he deemed unnecessary. Still, Sikkema believes guard Donovan Jackson could emerge as an important contributor to what may become one of the NFL’s better offensive lines.
Elsewhere in the league, the Chicago Bears received the highest offseason grade (A+), credited in part to new head coach Ben Johnson and improvements across the offensive line and rookie class. On the flip side, the New Orleans Saints were given the lowest grade (D-), with Sikkema citing a disappointing offseason and the retirement of quarterback Derek Carr.