Vikings' Akayleb Evans: Up-and-down sophomore season

Evans logged 65 total tackles, seven passes defended and three forced fumbles in 15 games during the 2023 regular season.

The 2022 fourth-round pick out of Missouri saw a major uptick in work from his rookie year, starting all 15 of the games he appeared in for Minnesota and playing almost 700 more snaps than in 2022. Evans definitely struggled at times, even getting benched during a Week 16 loss to the Lions, but the 24-year-old was still productive. It's uncertain what role Evans will play on the Vikings' defense next season, as the team is likely to make bolstering its secondary a top offseason priority.