After a heartbreaking loss in the playoffs last season, the Minnesota Vikings are hoping to advance beyond the Wild Card round this year. The team has talent, on both sides of the ball, and some think they could make it to the Super Bowl. The expectations are high around the Vikings this year and a few underrated players could help push them towards that Super Bowl run. Here are the three most underrated players on the Vikings in 2016.
3. CB Captain Munnerlyn
Take your pick of the Vikings' defensive players who aren't getting quite the amount of love they deserve. There's safety Harrison Smith, linebacker Anthony Barr and DT Linval Joseph, all of whom were some of the best at their positions. But we're going to go with the least known name: Captain Munnerlyn. He doesn't get a ton of love because he's a nickel corner, but he's a very good one. He had two picks last yea, the fourth straight year he's had at least two picks. He graded out as a Top 20 corner last year, per Pro Football Focus, but you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who thinks of him as among the top 30.
2. TE Kyle Rudolph
Take a quick glance at Rudolph's career numbers, and it's easy to see why he doesn't get much love. He's yet to top 54 catches and 500 yards in a season, although he did have 9 TDs in 2012 and five last year. Injuries have played a role in that, but so has the design of the offense. With Adrian Peterson in the backfield, the Vikings don't need to throw it around like the Patriots, or even Panthers, do. He's not the best blocker in the world, but when the Vikings eventually shift to a more passing-centric attack, Rudolph is going to put up impressive numbers.
1. C Joe Berger
Peterson rightly gets all the love for the Vikings' running attack, but don't forget about Joe Berger. Despite being flanked by players who struggled for the most part, Berger thrived. He was the No. 2 center in all of the NFL, per PFF, and a huge factor in Peterson's success. He was strong in the running game. While he doesn't get the love that say, Travis Frederick does, Berger deserves it. There probably isn't a better center in the run game than Berger.
Back to the Minnesota Vikings Newsfeed