Personnel shortcomings by general manager Rick Spielman's front office contributed to the Vikings' second consecutive losing season — the second such stretch in Spielman's 10 years as the general manager — including a failure over years to stock the cupboard at cornerback and offensive line despite spending top picks.
But there have been a handful of players who have emerged as real contributors, which is where we'll briefly turn attention to focus on some guys with staying power after 2021. This list is comprised of only young players — first or second-year contributors — not pending veteran free agents who played well like Sheldon Richardson, Patrick Peterson or Nick Vigil.