“It’s more this year,” Gilmore said Jan. 13 from the visitor’s locker room at State Farm Stadium. “Older, body feeling it a little bit more. Just wasn’t thinking about it during the season, but now looking back at how I feel, I’ll definitely be thinking about it.”

By contrast, the Eagles (eighth youngest) and Chiefs (14th) were among the younger teams this season by snap-weighted age, surrounding superstars Barkley and Mahomes with speed on both offense and defense.

Philadelphia’s defense is young and supremely talented. The Eagles’ defensive starting lineup averages 24 years, led by 23-year-old defensive tackle Jalen Carter, a top draft pick, and 28-year-old linebacker Zack Baun, a free-agent find last spring. And the second-oldest defense that made the playoffs after the Vikings, the Washington Commanders, looked their age as the Eagles offense racked up 55 points in the NFC Championship Game.

Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will once again need to find shorter-term fixes, similar to last year’s one-year deals for Gilmore and cornerback Shaq Griffin, while searching for long-term solutions.

The draft isn’t the only route. You can thread the needle in free agency by signing other standout players coming off their rookie contracts with other teams. Adofo-Mensah did this with defensive tackle Harrison Phillips in 2022, cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. in 2023 and edge rusher Jonathan Greenard last year.

That just costs more money and precious salary cap space.