PFF Not Impressed by Vikings Linebackers Heading into 2023
One of the big question marks surrounding the Minnesota Vikings roster ahead of the 2023 season revolves around the linebacker position. Back in March, the Vikings released longtime starter Eric Kendricks, opening up a starting spot alongside Jordan Hicks on the defense. However, they made very few moves to actually replace the former All-Pro player, opting to sign Troy Reeder in free agency, but outside of that, they will rely on the players already on the roster to replace his production.
Pro Football Focus‘ Dalton Wasserman recently ranked each of the linebacker rooms across the league heading into the new season, and it seems that the analyst, and site in general, is not overly impressed by the Vikings linebackers as training camp approaches.
Wasserman ranked the Vikings linebacker room as the sixth-worst in the NFL, placing them well below the rest of the groups in the NFC North division. The Detroit Lions were the next lowest among the Vikings rivals, ranking 20th in the league, while the Bears jumped all the way to No. 2 after signing both T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds in free agency.
Here is what Wasserman had to say of the Vikings group of LBs:
Eric Kendricks and Jordan Hicks played the vast majority of snaps for a unit — and team — that excelled against the run and struggled to cover. Kendricks left for Los Angeles, and Hicks remained in Minnesota.
Hicks’ 80.2 run-defense grade was a career-high mark, but it seems certain he won’t regain the coverage prowess he possessed in his early days in Philadelphia.
Brian Asamoah is the most likely partner for Hicks at this point. He played well in his small sample of 121 snaps last season, but his 78.8 grade is buoyed in part by one excellent game against the Giants. Troy Reeder also stands by as a veteran option. Right now, the Vikings are looking at Jordan Hicks and an open tryout for the other starting spot.
Asamoah is the hopeful starter alongside Hicks in 2023, considering the Vikings used a third-round draft pick to snag him in the 2022 Draft. With how little success that inaugural Kwesi Adofo-Mensah draft class has had, they desperately need someone other than Ed Ingram to land consistent playing time in the years to come.
During his rookie season, as Wasserman states, Asamoah played well, but he did not garner a ton of snaps with the defense due to the presence of Kendricks. However, he was still able to record 17 tackles, including a forced fumble and recovery against the New York Giants on Christmas Eve.
His aggressive, hard-hitting nature provides intrigue as to what his ceiling can be in the NFL, and with Brian Flores typically running blitz-heavy defenses, the combination of Asamoah and Hicks could be a high-flying LB duo for the Vikings this year against both the pass and the run.
Troy Reeder should also find a role with the defense on at least a rotational basis. After joining the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2019, he has started a total of 25 games throughout his career, appearing in every regular season game. However, in his most recent season with the Los Angeles Chargers, he was limited almost exclusively to a special teams role, despite LA’s defense ranking 21st in points allowed per game.
Then we have to consider the depth guys on the Vikings roster such as Troy Dye and William Kwenkeu. Dye has six starts under his belt through his first three NFL seasons, five of which came during his rookie season of 2020. However, he has never claimed a consistent role on the Vikings defense, nor has Kwenkeu.
Overall, the Vikings are a very uncertain group at linebacker and could end up in a number of different places. Perhaps an aggressive Flores scheme that blitzes heavily will revitalize Hicks and provide Asamoah with a place to blossom, but we have to wait and see until training camp gets started to see where the group truly stands.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.