Viktor
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- Mar 19, 2019
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Nearly half a season remains for players to make their case for Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors.
But who are the early front-runners?
Chris Wesseling of NFL.com on Thursday released his 2019 Midseason All-Pro team and included a Vikings player on each side of the ball. He named Vikings running back Dalvin Cook his flex player on offense, saying his “all-around excellence can’t be overlooked.” Wesseling wrote:
The league leader in carries (177) and rushing yards (894), Cook needs just 31 rushes and 76 yards to pass his totals from his first two NFL seasons combined. He’s the fastest running back from the handoff to the line of scrimmage (11.04 mph, per Next Gen Stats), while also stressing the edges of defenses with game-breaking ability on outside runs. Only [Christian] McCaffrey [42.5] has a higher percentage of his team’s scrimmage yards (Cook: 34.3).
Wesseling put McCaffrey in the running back spot, Russell Wilson (Seahawks) at quarterback, Michael Thomas (Saints) and Mike Evans (Buccaneers) at receiver, and George Kittle (49ers) at tight end.
On the offensive line, Wesseling highlighted tackles Ryan Ramczyk (Saints) and Mitchell Schwartz (Chiefs), guards Quenton Nelson (Colts) and Brandon Brooks (Eagles), and center Rodney Hudson (Raiders).
Wesseling included Eric Kendricks in his group of linebackers, joining Jamie Collins (Patriots) and Luke Kuechly (Panthers).
While the Vikings secondary has slipped, Kendricks is the beating heart of a front seven that has returned to heights of 2017. A playmaking machine, Kendricks has been a menace behind the line of scrimmage as a run-stuffer and blitzer while polishing up his pass-coverage skills.
A pair of Vikings were also mentioned as an afterthought in the edge rushers category, not quite making the cut behind Nick Bosa (49ers) and Cam Jordan (Saints):
This is an especially crowded class with many deserving names such as Joey Bosa, Shaq Barrett, [brothers] J.J. and T.J. Watt, the Vikings duo of Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter, the Packers duo of Za’Darius and Preston Smith (no relation) and the Browns duo of Myles Garrett and Olivier Vernon. It won't surprise me if a couple of those names land atop this list by season's end.
The remaining defenders on Wesseling’s list were as follows:
Interior: Aaron Donald (Rams) and Calais Campbell (Jaguars)
Cornerbacks: Stephon Gilmore (Patriots) and Richard Sherman (49ers)
Safeties: Justin Simmons (Broncos) and Devin McCourty (Patriots)
Defensive back: Minkah Fitzpatrick (Steelers)
And don’t forget about special teams! He spotlighted kicker Justin Tucker (Ravens), punter Brett Kern (Titans) and returner Cordarrelle Patterson (Bears).