Heading into the offseason, the Minnesota Vikings knew they needed to upgrade the running back position. The Vikings did just that. The team released Alexander Mattison and signed former Green Bay Packers’ star running back Aaron Jones.
Although Jones battled injuries in 2023, he’s night and day a better running back than Mattison. In 2023, Jones put up an overall Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade of 80.9 and a running grade of 85.7. These are excellent grades for a running back and something Jones does each and every season. For reference, Mattison finished with a 61.8 overall and a 70.2 running grade per PFF last season.
Minnesota Vikings’ Aaron Jones not a top-10 running back but an honorable mention?
In a recent report by Jeremy Fowler (ESPN), NFL executives, scouts, and coaches ranked the top-10 running backs heading into the 2024 season. Unfortunately, Jones did not make the list but he was the top honorable mention for the 10th spot.
[Aaron] Jones finished the 2023 season with five consecutive 100-yard games through the regular season and playoffs. He lost a tight battle with Etienne for the 10th spot. “Green Bay’s offense was completely different when he was healthy,” an NFC defensive coach said. “He’s a difference-maker”
Jeremy Fowler (ESPN)
Although he was snubbed from the top-10 list, it does sound like he gave Jacksonville Jaguars’ running back Travis Etienne Jr. a run for his money for that 10th spot. Jones only played in 11 games last season but was limited or on a snap-count for a lot of those games. This is partially the reason why he didn’t crack the top-10, but it was quite clear the Packers were a better team last season when Jones was on the field.
2024 season outlook for Minnesota Vikings’ running back Aaron Jones
It’s hard to gauge how Jones will do in this offense. The offensive line run blocking struggled last season, Minnesota Vikings’ head coach Kevin O’Connell prefers to throw a majority of the time, and with Sam Darnold at the helm teams may want shift their focus to stopping the run and let Darnold try to make plays. Turnovers have been a massive issue in Darnold’s tenure in the NFL.
Despite these potential hindrances for a successful run game, O’Connell is determined to improve the running game. According to Draft Sharks Fantasy, Jones’ 2024 projections are as follows:
- 175.9 rushing attempts
- 773.0 rushing yards
- 5.25 rushing touchdowns
- 39.6 receptions
- 295.6 receiving yards
- 1.56 receiving touchdowns
These aren’t dominant projections for a running back but numbers that are lightyears better of what Mattison put up last season as the starting running back. Don’t forget, Mattison failed to score a rushing touchdown all season which was the first time a starting running back failed to record a rushing touchdown in Minnesota Vikings’ franchise history.
If Jones can hit those projected stats for the 2024 season, that should be a win for Minnesota Vikings’ fans. O’Connell still really likes what he saw in Ty Chandler last season, so expect Chandler to receive a lot of snaps too. There’s also been reports that the Vikings are close to resigning Cam Akers who showed some burst and speed before tearing his Achilles last season. In the end, Jones is an upgrade this season and should provide the 2024 running game a must needed jolt.
