Skip Bayless is sticking with the Minnesota Vikings as his NFC pick, and he’s not treating it like a reach. Even with the Los Angeles Rams sitting among the conference’s top threats, Bayless sees Minnesota as the team best positioned to come out of the NFC.
The biggest reason for his belief starts with Kyler Murray. Bayless had already labeled Minnesota’s decision to sign Murray the “biggest, best move in the entire offseason.”
After the Vikings moved on from Sam Darnold, they brought in a quarterback with starting experience and the kind of mobility that can change a game when plays break down. Bayless thinks Murray may be set up better in Minnesota than he ever was with the Arizona Cardinals.
But this isn’t just a quarterback argument. Bayless is also buying into Minnesota’s defense, which he views as a real edge in a conference loaded with explosive offenses. He believes that unit can make opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable and give the Vikings a path to winning even when the offense isn’t firing on all cylinders.
That’s part of why he’s less sold on the Rams as the NFC’s top answer. Los Angeles has the talent to hang with anybody, but Bayless has questions about whether the team can stay consistent and stay healthy enough to hold that level all season.
Minnesota still has to back up the hype, especially with Chicago making noise in the NFC North. Still, Bayless sees enough in Murray and the defense to believe the Vikings have the pieces for a real conference run.
For him, that’s enough to put Minnesota ahead of the Rams.
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