It is the week of the NFL combine. The time where nearly every journalist, sports agent and front office executive meet in Indianapolis in order to discuss potential trade talk, contract extensions and soon to be draft picks. While the combine marks the start of the off-season’s chaos and entertainment, today we’ll use this temporary time we have to discuss musicians instead of draft prospects. Today we’ll be comparing every Minnesota Vikings offensive starter to their musical counterpart.
Music Background
A little background into the music I like. Very often you probably hear the phrase “I listen to everything” when asked about what type of music someone likes. Well this is one of those rare instances where the phrase is no exaggeration. Whether it be jazz fusion, thrash metal or indie rap I really do listen to just about everything, so buckle in for what is about to be a seemingly random and very wide range of musical comparisons. Just as an added bonus for tuning in to the article I’ll include a little note by how likely I would be to recommend the artist in case you’re here just for the music.
Criteria
In order to make my comparisons as accurate as possible, I chose to incorporate a combination of player region, situation, background and known musical preference as a way of comparing them to their musical counterpart. While I feel confident in my selections, this list is all made in good fun and disagreements are encouraged especially if paired with a comment below!
Kirk Cousins – Creed (1 out of 5 likely to recommend)
To start this list off, we have the quarterback of the franchise. Kirk Cousins has been the starting quarterback of the Vikings since 2018 when he signed with them in free agency for a then record breaking $84 million dollars.
Creed is a post grunge band that gained popularity with the song “One” also producing hits like “With Arms Wide Open” and “Higher”. While they’re not critically acclaimed they are one of the most popular bands of the post grunge era.
Cousins is a devout Creed fan and has made that known on numerous occasions. When comparing the two, many similarities emerge.
- On the older side of their industry
- Expensive to obtain services
- Slightly tacky
- Enjoyed by suburban dads on Sundays
- Not really respected by the national media or their respective communities
Justin Jefferson – Lil Baby (4 out of 5 likely to recommend)
Justin Jefferson is the superstar of the Vikings franchise. It’s safe to say the team would not have been nearly as effective last season without his immense level of talent.
Lil Baby is a rapper from Atlanta, Georgia who has become a super star of hip hop with the release of mixtape “Perfect Timing” in 2017. Lil Baby has worked with artists like Drake, Joyner Lucas and Travis Scott.
His comparison to Lil Baby runs deep.
- Industry superstars
- Young, both in mid 20s
- Loved universally
- Roots in the South
- Have a big future ahead of them
Adam Thielen – Eminem (3 out of 5 likely to recommend)
Adam Thielen is a wide receiver for the Vikings who has had his fair share of the limelight. Thielen had a bit of a down year this season considering his age and is a contender to be traded or cut this off season. Regardless, Thielen’s talent and career with Minnesota will go down in history.
Not much can be said about Eminem that has already been said. The Detroit rapper had his fair share of struggle in the past but has since been one of the greatest selling rappers of this generation. Eminem broke into stardom with the release of the Slim Shady LP in 1999.
Thielen and Eminem have much in common.
- Humble beginnings
- Success their perseverance
- From Detroit (lakes)
- Have fallen a few steps in recent years
- Household names with well respected careers
TJ Hockenson – Post Malone (3 out of 5 likely to recommend)
TJ Hockenson is a mid-season acquisition for the Vikings. Traded for a second round pick on November 1st, he has been stellar for the Vikings as their clear 2nd in command target behind Jefferson.
Austin Post AKA Post Malone is a rapper and hip hop artist from Syracuse, New York. Post Malone rose to stardom with his hit song “White Iverson” with his song “Congratulations” making him a household name.
Hockenson and Posty have a surprising amount of similarities.
- In the upper echelon of their field but is shadowed by a few top tier names
- Have a pretty strong beard game
- Both met with big expectations for 2023
- Young but is entering their primes
KJ Osborn – Blueface (2 out of 5 likely to recommend)
KJ Osborn is a Vikings receiver drafted in 2020. Osborn was initially selected as a kick returner but soon saw himself as a wide receiver 3 behind Jefferson and Thielen. Osborn has something to prove this year but is under contract for two more seasons.
Jonathan Porter AKA Blueface is a Los Angeles rapper who broke onto the scene in 2018 with his song “Respect my Cryppin”. Porter’s unique style of rap made him an exciting young star who has yet to be a household name.
Osborn and Blueface have a good amount in common.
- Mid 20s
- Came out of nowhere in the past few years
- Has some impressive highlights
- New to the game, but showing signs of serious improvement
Christian Darrisaw – Disco Lines (4 out of 5 likely to recommend)
Christian Darrisaw is a Left Tackle for the Vikings. Darrisaw was drafted in 2021 and had a relatively slow start to his rookie year due to injury. After recovering in 2022 Darrisaw exploded as one of the best tackles in the NFL.
Disco Lines is a software engineer turned DJ after his remix of Taylor Swift’s song “Love Story” blew up on Tik Tok. Thadeus Labuszewski, the real name of Disco Lines when he is not performing at festivals, established himself as a star with his performance at EDC this year.
Darrisaw’s musical comparison is DJ Disco Lines.
- Rose to prominence recently
- Industry superstars
- 23 years old
- Mild mannered out of the spotlight
- Electric in the spotlight
Ezra Cleveland – Mac Demarco (4 out of 5 likely to recommend)
Ezra Cleveland is a left guard for the Vikings. Cleveland was drafted in 2020 as a left tackle but soon made the switch to guard to fill the hole the Vikings had at that position. Cleveland has steadily improved every year but still has plenty of room to grow. Mac Demarco is his musical comparison.
Mac Demarco is a Canadian Singer-Songwriter who is known for his carefree attitude and his use of a tape machine. Demarco blew up in 2012 with the release of his hit song “My Kinda Woman”. Demarco brings his carefree, goofy personality on stage regularly when he tours.
Mac Demarco is Cleveland’s musical comparison.
- Folk / Indie vibe
- Northwest born and raised
- Touted highly but has yet to really take a leap forward
- Unique names
Garrett Bradbury – Ice Nine Kills (3 out of 5 likely to recommend)
Garrett Bradbury is the starting center for the Vikings. Bradbury was selected in the first round of the 2019 draft and is slated to be a free agent in a few weeks due to the Vikings decline of his fifth year option.
Ice Nine Kills is a metal band based out of Boston Massachusetts. The band struggled to break into the spotlight for years until the emergence of their horror theme. The band really got their taste of success recently with the release of their album The Silver Scream 2 Welcome to Horrorwood.
Bradbury has many similarities to Boston metal band Ice Nine Kills.
- Far from a household name but known well by devout followers
- Didn’t pan out to be successful until recently
- Small stature (Bradbury is 6’0 and the band’s lead singer Spencer Charnas is 5’10)
Ed Ingram – Quando Rondo (2 out of 5 likely to recommend)
Ed Ingram is a right guard for the Vikings. He was drafted this past off-season and had a pretty rough year. Ingram had a stellar collegiate career and is due for a bounce back soon.
Tyquian Bowman AKA Quando Rondo rose to prominence in 2018 with the release of the song “I Remember” featuring another mention on this list Lil Baby. Rondo has had his fair share of serious encounters with the most recent one being in 2022 when he was caught in a shooting.
Ingram he shares many similarities to rapper Quando Rondo.
- Certainly far from their peak at the moment
- Young player who has some time to develop
- Plays / raps with a violent style
- Poor technique, high talent
- From the American South
Brian O’Neill – Denzel Curry (5 out of 5 would recommend)
Brian O’Neill is a five year starter for the Vikings. O’Neill has had a stellar career so far with signs of improvement almost every season. O’Neill is under contract for several seasons with the agreement to a contract extension last off-season.
Few rappers have been as consistently good as Denzel Curry. Curry became famous with what is known as the “bottle flip song” “Ultimate”. Since then Curry has released several well respected albums and even covered Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls on Parade”.
Denzel Curry and Brian O’Neill have a number of similarities worth mentioning.
- Genuine guys who are well respected
- Been consistently good for the past half decade
- Niche audience
- Loved by true fans
Dalvin Cook – DaBaby (3 out of 5 would recommend)
Dalvin Cook is a running back for the Minnesota Vikings. He has been with the team since 2017 and entering the off-season as a potential cut candidate. Regardless of this, Cook has had a stellar career so far and looks to add to his resume. Cook and the Cleveland rapper have a lot in common.
DaBaby AKA Jonathan Kirk is a Cleveland based rapper who has been a star since breaking out in 2017 with his South By Southwest appearance walking around in a diaper. Since then he has released a number of albums and consistently sells well.
Cook and the Cleveland rapper have a lot in common.
- Had a great run in the past
- Starting to decline
- Had a handful of off the field controversies in the past
- Still relevant but might not be for long given their age
Whether or not you agree or disagree let me know down below! And stay tuned next week for part 2 where I do the same for the Vikings defense. Keep it with NFCNorthReport for everything Vikings and more!
