DT Makes Rare Appearance in Vikings Mock Draft
Dustin Baker
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The Minnesota Vikings acquired Dalvin Tomlinson in March, a thick defensive tackle from the New York Giants, as the team’s first major signing in free agency. The 27-year-old immediately plugs a roster hole, ensuring that the team does not “eek by” at the three-technique spot any longer.
From the point that Sharrif Floyd — a 1st-Round draft pick from 2013 — retired prematurely due to injury, the Vikings 3DT travels have been turbulent. In 2018, general manager Rick Spielman hopped up and signed Sheldon Richardson, who did an underrated job at bringing respect to the position. Before and after, though, the 3DT on the defensive line is usually “just a body.” Evidently, inside head coach Mike Zimmer’s 4-3 scheme, a firestorming, pass-rushing defensive tackle is not a requirement.
Tomlinson — known more for run-stopping — is a move in the direction of changing this narrative. The ex-Giant tallied a 75.1 Pro Football Focus grade in 2020 — a score that is considerably better than what Minnesota is accustomed to at 3DT.
If the desire is to generate interior pass-rushing pressure, there are better folks suited for the gig than Tomlinson. He’s a passable pass-rusher, at least per his Giants resume. His PFF pass-rushing grade spiked from 62.3 in 2019 to 74.6 in the pandemic season. So, perhaps no other 3DT is necessary.
On the contrary, the aforementioned PFF published a mock draft on Monday that disagrees. Before the signing of Tomlinson, the Vikings routinely mock-drafted defensive tackles with their 14th selection. The tendency ceased when Tomlinson signed on for two years. Now, the idea is back.
PFF’s Steve Palazzolo selected Christian Barmore for the Vikings, a 3DT from the University of Alabama. It feels like February again.
Of the choice, Palazzolo wrote:
“The Vikings would love to take an offensive tackle at this spot, but I’m playing the value game based on the PFF draft board. Barmore is the best interior defensive lineman in the draft, and he adds a pass-rushing element that Minnesota doesn’t currently have on the roster. The Alabama product has the top pass-rush grade and pass-rush win rate in the class over the last two years, and both numbers rank in the 99th percentile among NFL-caliber defensive linemen since 2014. He also ranks first in the class in run-stop percentage, finishing in the 98th percentile compared to NFL-caliber interior defensive linemen. His 747-snap sample size is small, but he has the tools to become one of the league’s best.“
Here, Palazzolo disregards Tomlinson altogether — or he forgot about the free agent. Mike Zimmer could assuredly find a role for Barmore on the 2021 Vikings, but he probably wouldn’t start in early September. Zimmer is apt at intermixing pass rushers into the lineup on passing downs in creative ways, so Barmore wouldn’t collect dust.
Barmore’s game is best described by The Draft Network‘s Jordan Reid:
“The Alabama interior defender possesses outstanding raw power combined with active, busy, and powerful hands that enable his frame to remain clean and disengage when desired. Even though he’s had limited reps, Barmore has proven to be excellent with executing swim/arm over moves that allow him to make plays behind the line or in his gap as a run defender. As a redshirt freshman, he was treated mostly as a third-down specialist prior to the final four games of the season. He has the versatility to play 1- or 3-technique in an even front, but he’s also spent a lot of his reps as a base 4i/4-technique in Alabama’s odd front.“
Barmore would be a magnificent asset to the Vikings roster as a plan for life-after-Tomlinson (if he’s a two-year patchover). But Spielman has more pressing needs than DT, and Barmore isn’t necessarily the best player available at #14.