2017 Camp Battles: Interior Defensive Line
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While edge rushers and linebackers get glamor and press, the defensive interior is the heart and soul of any defense. These are the blue-collar jobs that often just amount to taking up space and being hard to move. But arguably, the defensive interior has the greatest impact on run defense, and pressure form the interior can give pocket passers fits. Many teams, Vikings included, employ a stable of interior rushers and solve the position by committee. Some are better pass rushers, some are better run stuffers, and some are just there to give the 300+ pound starters a break. The Vikings usually keep four or five of these players, making this a crowded room with fierce competition. Whoever ends up getting the job will have the opportunity to set the tone for every defensive snap they play.
This series isn’t meant to be evaluative- don’t take any of the content here as a projection or opinion on a player’s talent. This is a rundown of everyone’s story, and where they are in their career trajectories. Everyone has something to gain and something to lose from training camp. While we won’t talk about who will win, we can talk about what they stand to win. For a more traditional experience, check out Joe Oberle’s roster analysis or Sam Ekstrom’s series on ZoneCoverage.com.
- Linval Joseph – Linval doesn’t have much to prove other than building on his case as the best nose tackle in football. His role is likely set in stone as a run stuffer, and he’ll only lose snaps due to scheme or rest, as nobody poses any sort of serious threat.
- Sharrif Floyd – Floyd has received plenty of coverage over the last weeks since we learned of the nerve damage he took from a botched surgery in September. Should Floyd return from that injury at full steam, he’ll be the rightful owner of the starting 3-tech job. That’s unlikely, however, given the severe impacts of nerve damage. Floyd will be happy to ever play football again, and for the Vikings, they have to rely on competition underneath him.
- Datone Jones – Jones has had a tumultuous NFL career with media coverage that may not align with his play. Jones is a bit of an enigma in terms of position. After playing 2016 at outside linebacker (in Green Bay’s 3-4), he is looking to gain back some weight and move back into the defensive line. Whether it’s on the edge or in the interior is yet to be seen. Still, pure edge rushing and pure 1-technique or 0-technique are unlikely. Jones’ most likely use is as a 3-technique, according to defensive line coach Andre Patterson. Jones has the advantage of being in his athletic prime, while Robison has established himself with more success. Jones needs to prove he can bounce back from a down year and knock off the rust at his natural position. It would take a pretty catastrophic failure at that for him to see less snaps than what you’d consider a “starter”, but on the defensive line, there can be more than four “starters.” Still, Jones has a lot of acclimating to do, and will likely use camp and the preseason to focus on that rather than earning reps.
- Tom Johnson – At 32 years old, Tom Johnson appears to have found his groove in Minnesota after bouncing between six different teams and four different leagues. Generally, experience in NFL Europe, Arena Football and the CFL wouldn’t project to a successful NFL career, but Tom Johnson has aged well. After his international journey, Tom Johnson broke out in 2014 with 6.5 sacks and 22 tackles in a reserve role. As a result, he leveraged a three year contract, of which he is now in the final year. Still, 32 is old for the punishment a defensive tackle takes, making this Johnson’s possible last year in football. As a versatile interior backup, his roster slot is all but guaranteed, but Johnson will have to stave off hungry young competition to keep a relevant snap count during his potential retirement tour. Failure in 2017 could spell the end for Tom Johnson despite his recent success. Conversely, more success could elongate his career. At 32, every year could be your last.
- Jaleel Johnson – Jaleel Johnson almost didn’t end up at Iowa. Before committing fully, he wavered with choosing Michigan State, which likely would have led to him feasting next to Malik McDowell. Hindsight aside, as a Hawkeye he embraced his role as a defensive leader and locker room “dancing bear” (read that article, it’s as hilarious as it sounds). When Johnson gave more effort, the rest of the team followed. His senior year performance propelled Iowa to the Outback Bowl and Johnson into the mid-rounds of the draft. Johnson may have been disappointed to have fallen to the 4th round, as he was eyeing a day one selection, but poor combine results facilitated his fall. Don’t let his 4th round stock fool you- he has the polished technique and skill set to contribute immediately on the defensive interior. Unlike some of the others in the room, Johnson projects as a pure 3-tech, with size and pad level issues that would be exacerbated at 1-technique. Despite his low round selection, Johnson has an opportunity to earn starting reps by year’s end with only Tom Johnson and Datone Jones, two players who could also rotate at other positions, and Will Sutton in his way.
- Shamar Stephen – Stephen is the role model to any player who was drafted lower than they wanted, but still had success in the league. In the 2014 NFL draft, Stephen was a 3rd round player with the athleticism to succeed in the NFL, but fell all the way to the Vikings in the 7th. Despite his surprise, Stephen worked hard to knock off an established veteran, much like any late-round prospect needs to. After working his way into the rotation his rookie year, Stephen’s 2015 was cut short with a foot injury, putting his career in peril a second time. But luck is a sword that cuts both ways. After Sharrif Floyd suffered his injury in the first week of 2016, Stephen had an opportunity to start for the entirety of the 2016 season. Now he faces a third wave of roster-jeopardizing adversity, as the additions of Will Sutton, Datone Jones and Jaleel Johnson look to cut into his role. The grind never ends for 7th round picks, regardless of how many times they earn their keep.
- Will Sutton – When Chicago drafted Will Sutton in the 3rd round in 2014, they expected to get use out of their investment at the 3-tech position. But after a 5-11 campaign and a clearing out of coaches and staff, the GM who drafted Sutton lost the chance to see his investments play out. Enter Vic Fangio, a defensive coordinator who would transition the Bears to a 3-4 defensive scheme. For a player like Sutton, that spelled a difficult transition. Sutton’s situation kept getting stranger as fellow defensive lineman Jeremiah Ratliff left the team under disturbing circumstances. Sutton got the chance to prove himself over the next two years, but his production never materialized, as he has yet to record a sack in the NFL. In 2016, his value to the team began to wane, and in early May the Bears waived him. The Vikings picked him up quickly, putting value in potential that may have gone unlocked with Fangio. Sutton, three years removed from his natural position as a 4-3 three-technique, will take on the steep challenge of regaining form among a crowded interior D-line room.
- Caleb Kidder – As a kid, Caleb Kidder wanted to play running back, but as he grew, he was over the size limit for running backs at his age. As a result, Kidder was moved to the trenches, first as an offensive lineman. Kidder’s first love was skiing, but he made the decision to commit to football with a scholarship at the University of Montana. Eventually, Kidder settled in to the defensive side of the line. While he spent most of college on the defensive interior, he switched to defensive end his final year. He’ll likely be tried in both places in an attempt to slot in somewhere on the roster. With a Big Sky pedigree, Kidder only had a small chance of being drafted. But his golden reputation and production at Montana was enough to give him a chance to prove himself to an NFL team. Kidder is likely aiming at a practice squad slot with all the competition above him, but many UDFA dark horses can surprise us.
Battle to Watch – Since Sharrif Floyd’s nerve damage was made public, the 3-tech position has been clouded with uncertainty. The opening days of camp will be vital as rookies, discarded outcasts and aging vets battle for opportunities to prove themselves. Jaleel Johnson, Datone Jones, Tom Johnson, Will Sutton and Shamar Stephen headline a battle royale to see who starts and who gets kicked out on the street. For some, the stakes are higher than others. For most of these players, excellence at another position could take them out of the 3-tech race, opening up snaps for the rest. But even 3rd-team preseason reps will feature players who have had their careers threatened before, and there will always be high stakes on the interior of the defensive line.
Thanks for reading!