Three Overlooked Vikings Defenders Competing for a 2022 Job

Jun 7, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks (54) and linebacker Troy Dye (45) warm up during mandatory mini camp at TCO Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Every season, certain players step up who very few saw coming. Football, like many sports, is unpredictable. As a result, I’ve been thinking about some Minnesota players who are flying under the radar. Since I’ve been devoting the early Sunday morning slot to defense for so long – check out The Donatell Diary – I’ve decided to focus on the Vikings defenders who might surprise a few folks.

Below, you’ll find three players who may not only make the team but become solid contributors. There is one for each of the defensive line, linebackers, and secondary. Shout out to PFF and PFR for the helpful info.

James Lynch
DT/DE, 23

Lynch has been in the NFL for a couple seasons and he’s still only 23. As a result, there’s some reason to believe that the 2020 fourth-round selection could keep developing. Much of the appeal for keeping Lynch rests in his potential to play multiple spots along the defensive line. He has the right size for being a 3-4 defensive end since he’s listed as being 6’4, 295 pounds. Being able to kick inside to 3T (or even 1T in really obvious passing scenarios) would give Ed Donatell some strategic options for his DL rotation. He had a sack and 30 tackles in 2021.

Troy Dye
LB, 25

At 6’4, 226 pounds, Dye is much skinnier than what linebackers have traditionally been. Where it makes sense for today’s game rests in his potential to help nullify the opposition’s passing attack. He has great length and moves really well, traits that allow him to be a strong special teams player. Last season, he had 90 snaps in kick coverage, 93 in kick return, 82 in punt coverage, and 53 in punt return. Defensively, though, he only had 55 snaps. The top two middle linebackers – Eric Kendricks and Jordan Hicks – are both a little older. Dye is competing with Brian Asamoah, Blake Lynch, and Chazz Surratt for the MLB3 job. He had 1 start last year, playing in 16 games.

Kris Boyd
CB, 25

If Kris Boyd is the team’s CB5 or CB6, fans should be feeling pretty good. The corner can tackle well, making him a strong option on special teams. In the right role, he can also have some success on defense. PFF gives him a concerning 37.4 coverage score for his work last season, but his 65.9 run defense grade is considerably more positive. What are the chances Donatell can better use Boyd, helping to minimize his issues in coverage while accentuating his strengths as a tackler? Perhaps offering more help from the safeties and/or using more off-coverage would make sense for Boyd. He had 26 tackles and 2 fumble recoveries last season.

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