The 2023 National Football League season is over for the Minnesota Vikings and now it’s time to reflect on what was and what could have been.
The Vikings had quite the roller coaster ride this season. After starting 1-4, they lost wide receiver Justin Jefferson and went on a five-game winning streak and won six out of their next eight games. They ultimately lost their final four to finish the season 7-10.
As we reflect back on the season that was for the Vikings, we as a staff took a look at it in multiple ways by handing out awards in different categories.
Here are our choices for Vikings rookie of the year.
Managing editor Tyler Forness: WR Jordan Addison
The Minnesota Vikings didn’t have the best start with their 2022 NFL draft class, but the 2023 class had three players worthy of being selected for this award. Both Ivan Pace Jr. and Mekhi Blackmon had really good rookie years for the Vikings and made the PFF all-rookie team. The award her has to go to Addison who stepped up in a major way with Justin Jefferson out for seven games. He caught 70 passes for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns and looked like a a blossoming star at the position.
Columnist Judd Zulgad: WR Jordan Addison
A draft-night clip surfaced from the Vikings’ war room last April in which general manager Kwesi-Adofo Mensah is discussing moving back from the 23rd pick and coach Kevin O’Connell is clearly trying to get his boss to hang up the phone and make the selection. We now know why O’Connell was so adamant about Adofo-Mensah keeping the selection. Addison, who ended up going 23rd to the Vikings, finished the season by leading rookie wide receivers with 10 touchdown catches, a figure that also led his own team. Addison was third in receiving yards (911) and sixth in receptions (70) among rookies and caught 35 passes on 53 targets for 437 yards and four touchdowns during the seven games Justin Jefferson missed because of a hamstring injury. Addison could be the No. 1 wide receiver on many teams, but the hope in Minnesota is that he and Jefferson will provide a potent 1-2 punch for years to come.
Columnist Saivion Mixson: WR Jordan Addison
Since 2010, there have only been six rookie wide receivers that have ten or more touchdowns in their rookie seasons. Mike Williams (2010), Mike Evans (2014), Odell Beckham Jr. (2014), Calvin Ridley (2018), Ja’Marr Chase (2021) and now Jordan Addison. When Jefferson was out for seven games, a pass-catcher needed to step up alongside T.J. Hockenson to keep this passing offense afloat. Kevin O’Connell decided that Addison was ready to play that outside receiver role. While there were bumps and bruises, as there will be with rookies, Addison took control of the opportunity and made plays on all three levels of the offense. With the two-man combo of him and Jefferson, the future looks bright for this offense and makes this offense a weapon in various ways.
Columnist Chris Spooner: ILB Ivan Pace Jr.
The fact that Ivan Pace, Jr. went undrafted in the 2023 NFL draft is a fact I don’t think I’ll ever get over. I personally had a third-round grade on him, and I still can’t fathom that no one wanted to take a chance on him at any point in the seven rounds. But every other team’s loss is the Vikings gain. Pace had an incredible rookie season for the Vikings, and the sky’s the limit for the young linebacker. Pace flourished in the Flores-led defense, and he’s only going to get better as he continues to grow in the system. Pace was the highest-graded linebacker for the Vikings, and finished as the 17th linebacker overall by PFF grade. Pretty good for a guy no one thought was good enough to get selected.
