NFL analysts: Vikings have best offensive supporting cast in NFC

The Vikings have the best supporting cast of offensive players (and coaches) around their quarterback in the NFC, at least according to Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen of The Athletic.

Minnesota overhauled the interior of their offensive line this offseason, upgrading what was arguably the weakest part of the entire team over the past several years. Free agent signings of Will Fries and Ryan Kelly, along with the first-round selection of Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson, gives the Vikings the best offensive line they've had in decades.

It's the added talent on that line line that has Mays and Klassen excited about what the Vikings offense under Kevin O'Connell can look like in 2025.

"I still think the uptick in offensive line talent means they finish 13th in rushing efficiency, instead of 20th, and when you combine that with what the passing game supporting cast looks like, I think it's enough for me to put them at No. 1," said Mays in a recent episode of The Athletic Football Show.

O'Connell's ability as a play caller has been highly praised in the three seasons he has been in charge of the Vikings. Klassen said O'Connell "puts (the Vikings) over the top" in the argument of best supporting cast in the conference. It's another star, perhaps the biggest star, that sets Minnesota apart for Mays.

"You mention that Kevin O'Connell is the reason they're No. 1, and, like, what sort of play caller he is. I'm going to say that Justin Jefferson is. I think that having, if not the best receiver in the NFL then 1A, 1B with the guy who plays in Cincinnati, that matters to me," said Mays.

Mays said Jefferson is "in a tier of his own" among playmakers in the NFC heading into his sixth season in the league.

According to Mays and Klassen, the Rams, Eagles, Packers, and Lions rounded out the rest of the top supporting casts in the conference.