The Minnesota Vikings face the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium this weekend in a game that features great individual talent across both rosters. There are several instances in which these playmakers square off directly with one another.
To help prepare you for this Week 1 contest, here are five matchups to watch between the Vikings and Giants.
5 Matchups To Watch in Vikings vs. Giants
Malik Nabers vs. Stephon Gilmore
One is a fast, young, pass catcher looking to light it up. The other is a crafty, veteran defender looking to shut it down.
It’s not yet known if 13-year cornerback Stephon Gilmore will shadow rookie receiver Malik Nabers. What is known is that when he does line up across from the LSU product in coverage, it’s a matchup to watch.
Nabers was taken with the No. 6 overall pick in this year’s draft. The second receiver off the board, Nabers brings with him the kind of playmaking promise few prospects possess. He left LSU as the program’s all-time leader in receiving yards with 3,003. He also secured 189 receptions and 21 touchdowns in 38 games played
Gilmore is no stranger to standouts from the Southeastern Conference (SEC). He started at South Carolina as a true freshman, a rare feat in that league, and authored a career that led to him being a first-round pick, too. From there, all Gilmore did was earn five Pro Bowls, two first-team All-Pro selections, one AP Defensive Player of the Year award, and a Super Bowl ring.
But the steely veteran isn’t done yet. Gilmore signed on with the Vikings this summer and now he’s reunited with defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who was on the New England Patriots staff when Gilmore played there.
The old guard’s first big challenge will be containing the newest member of the LSU wide receiver fraternity.
Justin Jefferson vs. Deonte Banks
Speaking of former LSU receivers and SEC stars, the Vikings have one of their own.
Justin Jefferson, who enters this season with a brand new contract, has already proven he’s worth the money. No receiver in NFL history has more receiving yards in their first four seasons than Jefferson’s 5,889.
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How many yards Jefferson adds to that total on Sunday will be determined partially by how well cornerback Deonte Banks plays. He’s also a former first-round pick, the 24th player taken in 2023. The Giants took him with this kind of matchup in mind. Wide receiver talent in the NFL is on the rise and teams must respond in kind.
Banks’ selection is far from the only move New York has made of late to improve its pass defense. Big Blue traded for pass rusher Brian Burns this offseason and spent second-round and third-round picks this past draft on safety Tyler Nubin and nickel corner Dru Phillips.
Each of those three will contribute to the cause going forward, but it’s likely Banks who will have the most direct role in trying to neutralize Jefferson on Sunday.
Brian Burns vs. Brian O’Neill
The aforementioned Burns is one of the best NFL players who switched teams in the last year. A supremely dynamic, versatile, and explosive athlete, Burns is most dangerous as a pass rusher. He has 20.5 sacks over the past two seasons.
But he is also effective against the run and, occasionally, when dropping into coverage. He can line up on either side of the defense, too.
Make no mistake, though, when it’s crunch time Burns will be lined up as a left edge rusher.
That means right tackle Brian O’Neill has no time to start slow in 2024. No worries for O’Neill. He’s done nothing but play fast and play well since entering the NFL as the Vikings second-round pick in 2018. Rarely one to give up a pressure, O’Neill is the kind of stalwart at offensive tackle who can go 1-on-1 and more than hold his own.
O’Neill, who will turn 29 in two weeks, boasts the combination of size and athleticism that gives him a chance to contend with an athlete such as Burns.
At 6’7″, 310 pounds he has the frame to handle Burns’ strength and ability to bend around the edge. Boasting the fourth-fastest NFL Combine 40-yard dash time for an offensive lineman since 2006 as well as his class’s top three-cone drill time for offensive linemen, O’Neill has the movement skills to match Burns’ athleticism.
Dexter Lawrence II vs. Garrett Bradbury
The trenches at MetLife Stadium on Sunday will be no place for the weary.
The Vikings and Giants will each bring interior linemen who have distinct advantages over the other. Whoever can figure out how to leverage their advantage while staving off the other’s attempt will give their team a leg up on the day.
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At 6’4″, 342 pounds, Dexter Lawrence II is the anchor of the Giants’ defense. That is saying something given the strength and talent New York has in its front seven. Lawrence is a two-gapping nose tackle who consistently controls the middle of the field with his brute strength and physical dominance, making life difficult for opposing centers, quarterbacks, and ball carriers.
Garrett Bradbury, on the other hand, weighs 40 pounds lighter. While he’s only an inch shorter, there’s no question that leverage and technique are the ticket for the veteran center. While Lawrence has made a career out of making centers miserable, it should be noted in two games against Bradbury there hasn’t been much to write home about for Lawrence (two tackles for loss, no sacks in 105 snaps).
Will that change on Sunday?
Jonathan Greenard vs. Andrew Thomas
The Vikings rebuilt their pass-rushing unit this offseason. Adding Jonathan Greenard in free agency was a key component of that effort.
The Giants revamped their offensive line this offseason. Retaining left tackle Andrew Thomas was a key component of that effort.
On Sunday, the two will meet, and everyone else will watch.
This is a big-time pass-rushing matchup. Thomas, a former first-round pick from the University of Georgia who stands at 6’5″, 315 pounds, is equipped to handle the adversary’s best pass rusher on a weekly basis. He possesses elite size but also elite movement skills for the position.
Greenard, only 27 and coming off a 12.5-sack season, measures in at 6’3″, 263 pounds, and he has the combination of athleticism and strength that allows him to leverage both inside and outside rush moves to combat complete left tackles such as Thomas.
Thomas is too good physically and too experienced to lose pass-rushing repetitions against the same rusher. Knowing that, expect the Vikings to mix up where they align Greenard, fellow free agent signing Andrew Van Ginkel and rookie Dallas Turner within the pass-rushing scheme so as to force Thomas to handle a variety of looks and rush moves from the trio.