Vikings’ Pass Rush Gets Pulled in Different Directions as Free Agency Becomes a Frenzy
K. Joudry
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No uncertainty about this one, folks: the Vikings’ pass rush needs to be better in 2024.
Led by Danielle Hunter’s 16.5 sacks, Minnesota got to the QB 43 times last season. Coordinator Brian Flores was working through his opening season as the team’s defensive architect. True to his reputation, Flores blitzed a ton, pacing the NFL by sending an extra man a stunning 51.5% of the time (the next closest team was down at 45.4%; only a trio of teams cleared 40%).
Now, the news about Jonathan Greenard certainly brings plenty of reason for optimism. He was coming in at 6th on the PurplePTSD Free Agency Board. He got bumped down a bit since the belief was that he would be too expensive, but the word from Adam Schefter is that it’s a 4-year agreement with a total commitment of $76 million. And then there was the Andrew Van Ginkel addition, which could end up being a sneaky add.
Some tidy work from Kwesi Adofo-Mensah with these deals. The former Texan is still 26 and one of the NFL’s best (and most underrated) pass rushers. Meanwhile, Van Ginkel is going to turn 29 over the summer but hasn’t played a ton over his opening five NFL seasons.
The Vikings’ Pass Rush & The Upside Additions
For a little while, we’ve been discussing the need for a front-seven overhaul in Minnesota.
Several guys played admirably last season, but it was still an area of the team that was lacking in high-end talent. Hunter is elite, Ivan Pace had an excellent rookie season, and then there were strong contributors: D.J. Wonnum, Harrison Phillips, Jordan Hicks, Jonathan Bullard.
The assumption from a lot of NFL insiders was that Danielle Hunter would be playing elsewhere in 2024, which ended up being correct. Mr. Hunter will be complementing Will Anderson down in Houston. Minnesota is thus moving into a situation where they’re losing one tremendous option (Hunter) while opting for another tremendous option (Greenard).
Plus, the Vikings finally did the expected by cutting Dean Lowry. The former Packer was supposed to provide some penetration from the DE position in Flores’ 3-4 defense but struggled to do so. Moving on was always the most likely outcome. Oh, and Marcus Davenport — seldom available — is taking his talents to Michigan.
Players like Christian Wilkins (Raiders), Denico Autry (Texans), Javon Kinlaw (Jets), and Sheldon Rankins looked like reasonably strong FA fits; the final player is still available, so don’t be surprised to see Minnesota make a move.
One also thinks of Arik Armstead, the former 49er. He’s almost certainly navigating a robust market given his long history of strong play. At 67″, 290, Armstead has the ideal build to be a 3-4 DT/DE hybrid. Presumably, Flores would be thrilled to move Armstead all over the defensive line to create mismatches.
And yet the irony engulfing the situation is that the best thing Minnesota could have done for its defense would have been to retain Danielle Hunter. Partnering the elder statesman with Greenard and Van Ginkel would have meant Minnesota’s defensive front was back to being one of the most ferocious in the NFL.
The post-Cousins era needs to involve top-tier defense, so the long-and-strong Hunter should have been retained for Minnesota’s defense. The league insiders were right, though, that the EDGE would play elsewhere. In the end, Minnesota is likely to regret the decision to let him go.
Even with the flurry of activity in free agency, the Vikings find themselves in a good spot financially. There’s more than enough cap room to bring in more impact talent. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah probably has another trick or two up his sleeve.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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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.