Lunchbreak: Vikings Land Most Players on Preseason ‘All-NFC North Team’

[Viktor]

The panel wrote:


Neither Thielen nor Adams received votes outside of the top three, while Diggs ran away from fourth and fifth place with a heavy lead, making the cutoff fairly easy for this position. All of them averaged over 60 yards a game the past two years, and all three are recognized as top-level receivers. Between the three of them, Thielen has more yards, Adams has more touchdowns and Diggs is the youngest.


It’s a talented group, and the rank order between the three of them already causes debates among Vikings and Packers fans — and this probably won’t stop it. For the record here, Thielen received two first-place votes and two-second-place votes, while Adams received one first-place vote, one second-place vote and two third-place votes. Diggs received a first-place vote, a second-place vote and a fourth and fifth-place vote.


Minnesota also had running back Dalvin Cook, fullback C.J. Ham and tight end Kyle Rudolph on the offensive team.


The Vikings also had four defensive players, including defensive end Danielle Hunter, who has racked up 40 total sacks in his first four seasons.


Hunter is tied for fourth all-time in sacks produced before the age of 25 — a mark he still has time to improve upon — if he generates more than 5.0 sacks by Oct. 29, eight games into the season, he takes the record.


Linebacker Anthony Barr was praised for his coverage skills, while safety Harrison Smith’s versatility landed him on the team. Cornerback Xavier Rhodes also made the group.


[Barr has] largely been excellent and has some of the best coverage numbers of any linebacker in the NFL. He might be the most athletic linebacker in the NFL, and certainly has the speed to match any of those in the division.


Smith is known as a do-everything safety, and has historically done it all well. He typically ranks as one of the top safeties in coverage, run defense and as a pass-rusher.


The All-NFC North Team was voted on by Vikings writer Arif Hasan, Chris Burke with the Lions, Kevin Fishbain (with the help of Adam Jahns) with the Bears and Matt Schneidman with the Packers.