5 Vikings FA Fits Who are Still Available on Day 3 of Free Agency

NFL: Super Bowl LVIII-San Francisco 49ers at Kansas City Chiefs
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

We’re less than 48 hours into NFL free agency — or, at least, the legal tampering portion of it — and things have been wild. Even still, plenty of Vikings FA Fits remain.

Minnesota has made moves to bring in EDGE Jonathan Greenard, EDGE Andrew Van Ginkel, LB Blake Cashman, QB Sam Darnold, and RB Aaron Jones. And, of course, that’s just the tip of the iceberg; there have been internal additions and some very notable subtractions. The league more broadly has also been jumping into the action, meaning there’s now less talent available. Who remains for Minnesota? Consider 5 players (mostly) from the PurplePTSD Free Agency Board.

5 Vikings FA Fits

1) Chase Young — 25 — Edge Rusher

NFL: Washington Commanders Training Camp
Jul 28, 2023; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders defensive end Chase Young (99) gestures on day three of Commanders training camp at OrthoVirginia Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Young ticks a lot of the boxes for Kwesi. The defender is young and supremely gifted. He was chosen high (2nd overall in 2020) and could benefit from another change of scenery. Does the Davenport decision, though, cause the GM to be skittish about adding a talented pass rusher who has battled injury? A prove-it deal looks like the likeliest outcome for Young. He won the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, an indication of the potential that’s still in the pass rusher.

2) Kendall Fuller — 29 — Corner

Nov 23, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Washington Commanders running back Jonathan Williams (18) and Washington Commanders cornerback Kendall Fuller (29) in action during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Does Brian Flores like deploying versatile defensive backs? If so, then Fuller is someone to monitor. He’s an eight-year vet, picked 84th overall in 2016. The first four seasons featured him spending the majority of his time in the slot; the past four seasons have featured more time along the outside. In total, Fuller has 2,413 slot snaps and 3,671 boundary snaps. He has cleared 1K snaps in each of the past three seasons, so the 29-year-old has been durable.

3) Devin White — 26 — Linebacker

Another Interesting Trade Request Hits NFL Headlines
Jan 1, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White (45) reacts after a play against the Carolina Panthers in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The linebacker ran a faster forty time than Justin Jefferson. He has a history of blitzing a ton and is still only 26. Putting him alongside Ivan Pace may lead to some dicey moments for the pass coverage but some wonderful moments for the pass rush. Adding Cashman makes the fit more uncertain.

4) Sheldon Rankins — 29 — Defensive Tackle

Dec 31, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (51) and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (98) react after a play during the game against the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Getting more pressure from the interior of the defensive line is a must. Rankins, though older, might be able to help. Across 597 snaps in 2023, Rankins snagged 6 sacks, 10 QB hits, 9 TFLs, and even had a touchdown. He’ll turn 30 in April, so the Vikings likely wouldn’t commit major money to the DT. Needs to be a value deal.

5) Arik Armstead — 30 — Defensive Tackle/End

NFL: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at San Francisco 49ers
Dec 11, 2022; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead (91) reacts after the 49ers made a defensive stop on third down against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The 17th pick from the 2015 NFL Draft stands at 6’7″ and weighs 290 pounds. His career has featured ample snaps as a DT and DE within the San Francisco defense. The versatile pass-rushing defender would be a nice complement to a Vikings defense that’s in desperate need of more push in the middle.

Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and PFF helped with this piece.


K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.