NFL: Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings
USATSI

The NFC North is set for a wild 2020, in part because the division hasn't had a repeat champion in five years. The Minnesota Vikings, who last captured the North in 2017, are no exception to the uncertainty. The team's foundation is pretty much intact, with quarterback Kirk Cousins, coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman all landing contract extensions this offseason. But what about the supporting cast? What about the total package? How should Minnesota fans expect their team to fare this season?

With the 2020 campaign right around the corner, here are three bold predictions for the Vikings:

Justin Jefferson breaks Randy Moss' rookie receptions record

Stefon Diggs may be gone, but the Vikings probably couldn't have chosen a better pass catcher for their offense than Justin Jefferson, who went 22nd overall out of LSU. The 21-year-old excelled in the slot in college, and he figures to open his NFL career there, even though Adam Thielen has taken just under half of his snaps on the inside. In a run-first, play-action attack that should increasingly demand efficiency from Cousins, Jefferson could easily become the QB's new favorite target over the middle of the field.

Randy Moss owns the team's rookie receptions record, with 69 in 1998. Percy Harvin came the closest to breaking it with 60 catches in 2009. It hardly seems impossible for Jefferson to reel in 70 balls in Year One. Consider that Thielen got a whopping 153 targets from Cousins in 2018, that Vikings coaches already envision an instant role for Jefferson, and the fact that Diggs' absence will open up a lot more mid-range opportunities, and you've got a great recipe for Jefferson to become an immediate fan favorite.

Mike Zimmer's defense finishes outside the top 15

Zimmer is known for his defensive genius, so projecting anything less than a top-15 finish seems rather bold. And let's get this out of the way: Minnesota still has some premiere starters on "D," starting with the perennially underrated Danielle Hunter up front. Eric Kendricks, Anthony Barr, Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris are all Grade-A pieces. But it's really hard to ignore two things: The thin depth at pass rusher, and the total makeover at cornerback.

Ifeadi Odenigbo might be a solid presence opposite Hunter, but who else is disrupting pockets off the edge? We can't undersell the loss of Everson Griffen, whose steadiness over the last half-decade was nearly unparalleled league-wide. Even more concerning is the CB situation. You can count Xavier Rhodes' departure as addition by subtraction based off his 2019, but it's not often you replace three starting CBs in one offseason and get instant, favorable results. If Smith and Harris regress even a bit (which seems entirely plausible considering the seasons they just had), the corners will have even less help a year after ranking 15th against the pass.

The Vikings miss the playoffs

Angry tweets in three ... two ... one. Look, if there's any division that should allow the Vikings to return to the playoffs, it's probably the North, where parity has reigned supreme as of late. The addition of an extra wild-card spot should also be encouraging. Firstly, however, there are plenty of other divisions eager to send more than one or two teams to the postseason (see: NFC West, NFC South). Even inside the North, while the Green Bay Packers might regress from 13-3, they still have a top-tier quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, an enviable ground attack and a promising pass rush. The Chicago Bears, meanwhile, still boast a really good defense to go along with a potential QB upgrade. And the Detroit Lions, even with a seemingly hapless coach, sneakily tout a lot of firepower.

None of that accounts for the more pressing concern: The Vikings' own holes. Yes, they have an efficient QB. Yes, they have a play-making centerpiece in Dalvin Cook. Yes, they have Mike Zimmer's pedigree. But they lost a big-play WR in Diggs. Their offensive line still has questions. Cook has yet to play a full season. And the aforementioned pass rush and corner groups -- two crucial units -- hardly resemble the top tier. Would it be surprising if the Vikings make the postseason? No. But would it be surprising if they followed their own trend -- and that of Zimmer -- and missed the cut after making it the year prior? Absolutely not.