The folks from Pro Football Focus have been doing their "All-Division" teams for the past couple of weeks, and they got around to their All-NFC North Team a few days ago. Surprisingly, the Minnesota Vikings. . .despite their 3-13 record. . .managed to lead the way with eight players getting spots on the team.
The eight players that were named to the All-NFC North Team by Pro Football Focus were running back Adrian Peterson (despite injury issues), tight end Jim Kleinsasser (who made it as a fullback, but hey. . .he's the People's Champion, so we're not arguing), wide receiver Percy Harvin, guard Steve Hutchinson, center John Sullivan (who PFF praised all season long), defensive end Jared Allen, defensive tackle Kevin Williams, and outside linebacker Erin Henderson.
In something that's sort of weird, the Vikings managed to get the most players on the team despite having the division's worst record. The Chicago Bears, who had the second-worst record in the division at 8-8, got the second-most players with seven (and nearly swept the special teams categories). The Detroit Lions, who went 10-6, had the fewest players with five, and the Green Bay Packers put six players on the squad.
That goes to show the discrepancy between the top part of the Vikings' roster and what they have as far as depth is concerned. Yes, the Vikings still have some superstars that continue to go out and produce at a high level, but the gulf between those players and the rest of the roster got huge in 2011. The 2012 NFL Draft and free agency periods will serve as a chance for the Vikings to correct that issue as they rebuild this team and get back to their normal status as contenders.