The Upcoming Blitz: Which Vikings Defenders Blitz the Most in 2023?
The notion that Brian Flores wants to blitz is a well-established fact, one that’s akin to saying that the sky is blue or that Minnesota teams are heartbreaking. Something that’s less explored, though, is who will be doing the blitzing. Some Vikings defenders will get sent with greater regularity than in 2022.
Flores’ aggression will manifest itself in Vikings linebackers, safeties, and corners abandoning the passive approach of yesteryear. Instead, they’ll be tasked with flying up the field to create havoc beyond the line of scrimmage. The defense certainly has some personnel concerns, but there are several linebackers and defensive backs capable of generating pressure.
The Vikings Defenders Who Will Lead the Team in Blitzes
Before getting too far into the specific players, let’s take a moment to recap what the Vikings defense did last season.
By the end of the season, Minnesota was a bottom-10 team in terms of blitz percentage, sending an extra man just 18.9% of the time. That’s a figure that comes in as the 9th-lowest. In terms of the total number, that percentage translates to 175 blitzes.
Now, part of what makes the total potentially misleading is that Za’Darius Smith (37), Danielle Hunter (23), Patrick Jones (17), and D.J. Wonnum (11) get counted into the total. Put differently, the full-time edge rushers get counted into some of the blitzing. Presumably, PFR is looking to instances when these players didn’t line up along the line like a normal defensive end/outside linebacker (in a 3-4, at least), instead functioning as the 5th-man getting after the QB.
Even still, keep that important detail in mind.
The players who also showed up as blitzers were mostly who you’d expect: Eric Kendricks (32), Jordan Hicks (17), Chandon Sullivan (15), Harrison Smith (9), and Brian Asamoah (6). Some others get sprinkled in, but that more or less provides the lay of the land.
Under Flores, various defenders are going to see their blitz totals soar to new heights, especially since Kendricks has been subtracted.
Forced to guess, I’d say Hicks, Asamoah, and Smith are the top contenders for the “Blitz King” crown in Minnesota. In the past, Hicks and Smith have been sent an awful lot. Asamoah’s career is still young, but the team’s linebacker coach praised the sophomore as a “chess piece” since he can do so many things well.
In 2021 – the last time Flores was running a defense – the Dolphins blitzed the second-most in the NFL, at least in terms of percentages. They sent an extra man a whopping 39.6% of the time. Folks, if you double last season’s percentage (18.9%) you still wouldn’t get to what the Dolphins did under Flores in 2021. PFR credits the 2021 Dolphins with sending a blitzer 511 times.
Admittedly, that lofty blitz percentage occurred in Year 3 with Flores at the helm; during his opening season in Miami, the Vikings’ defensive coordinator “only” blitzed 31.6% of the time. Even climbing into the low 30s, though, would represent a massive shift for Minnesota.
Hicks stands out as a great contender to be sent a ton. A thumper who doesn’t have top-end speed, Hicks does better coming forward than going backward. Previously, he blitzed 89 times (2020) and 86 times (2019), so he can certainly handle a large workload as a blitzer. On a per game basis, that works out to 5 or 6 blitzes. At a similar rate, Hicks could equal or surpass last year’s total – 17 for the entire season – by the end of Week 3.
Smith was consistently in the 30s working with Zimmer, even getting to 40 blitzes in 2021. The All Pro safety is likely to get back into the same range. Just averaging a pair of blitzes per game would put him at 34 total, assuming he can stay healthy. As a result, soaring past 40 wouldn’t be altogether surprising.
Finally, Mr. Asamoah. The young linebacker moves really well. A touch undersized, Asamoah doesn’t lack for physicality on the field. One could easily envision Flores quickly becoming enamoured with what the young fella can do, especially if the LB proves capable of eluding the massive mitts of offensive linemen.
Fans will gain clarity about how the new DC will use his defenders on September 10th when Tampa Bay visits U.S. Bank Stadium.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
