The Minnesota Vikings are working hard in camp and doing whatever they can to get their unit strong before the season kicks in. After having such a strong season during their 2024-25 run, there are a lot of expectations around the Vikings, especially now that franchise quarterback J.J. McCarthy is healthy again and ready to show his stuff on the field.
But, not everyone is sold on the idea of Minnesota advancing to the big game. There have been some question marks around McCarthy, and that gives some NFL analysts and experts pause to have big expectations for the team.
It’s early to check out at NFL power rankings but not too early. Let’s face it: NFL analysts start sharing their power rankings the second the big game is over in February, so August doesn’t seem too premature. Now, Ralph Vacchiano at Fox Sports has released his 2025 NFL power rankings, and it’s interesting where he has teams land.
2025 NFL Power Rankings and the Minnesota Vikings
In his piece, which was published on Monday, July 28, Vacchiano admits that these are early power rankings that that things could change a lot before the first NFL snap takes place. “The summer could change a lot, especially when the preseason games (and the injuries) begin,” he notes in the feature. “But for now, here’s our preseason look at how the league is ranked from bottom to top after free agency and the draft, and now that every NFL team has officially opened camp.”
So, what about the Vikings? He has them at No. 15 on the tally. Now, we get why they wouldn’t be in the top 10, but what’s wild is that the Green Bay Packers are No. 5 on his tally. Say what?
In the piece, he says that the Vikings are “asking a lot of quarterback J.J. McCarthy to come off the rookie season he lost to injury and follow up Sam Darnold‘s Minnesota Miracle. But they truly believe he will — so much so that they spent months ignoring the obvious pleas of Aaron Rodgers, who thought Minnesota was the perfect place for him.”
He adds that, on a bright note, “the Vikings also fixed some of their offensive line issues in the offseason, and McCarthy will be surrounded by weapons like receiver Justin Jefferson and running back Aaron Jones. He even has a pretty good defense. The potential is there, but only if McCarthy can fulfill his.”
So, in general, he thinks McCarthy will have a hard time following Darnold’s performance last season.
The Top Team in the NFL
So, what team did Vacchiano pick as the best in the NFL heading into the 2025-26 season? It’s the Philadelphia Eagles, of course. “The defending champs deserve the No. 1 spot for now, but they only have a tenuous hold on it,” he says, adding that “as long as Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts are healthy, they are as good, deep and talented as any team in the league.”
He later adds that “while Saquon Barkley certainly is good enough to duplicate his remarkable 2024 season, it might be asking a lot of the 28-year-old after a career-high — by far — 482 touches, including the playoffs.”
