The Vikings Roster Spot that Still Needs Help
Most of the work is over, but it’s never completely done.
Free agency truly was a frenzy and then the pair of opening-round trades made the draft a wild event, as well. Within all of that, there have been major additions to Minnesota’s defense, but there’s still a weak spot: defensive tackle. In the 7th, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah added Levi Drake Rodriguez, but he alone can’t entirely address the depth concerns.
The Vikings Roster Spot that Needs More Help
If someone like Jaquelin Roy explodes, then the concern could end up being unfounded.
The promising soon-to-be sophomore has a pretty clear path toward playing time. True, he isn’t the largest nose tackle in the world — no one will be mistaking him for Pat Williams — but it’s possible he carves out a nice role for himself beside Harrison Phillips, the team’s only DT with a locked-in role.
Maybe Jerry Tillery continues his ascent, proving to be a bit of a late bloomer as he starts living up to his 1st-round draft slot. Jonathan Bullard has proven capable of offering quality snaps and then Jonah Williams can likely move up and down the line a bit.
The issue is that there isn’t much certainty within this discussion. There’s potential, yes, but nothing seems totally clear, especially when it comes to finally getting some penetration on passing downs.
Rodriguez isn’t likely to turn into a Year 1 starter even if there is some upside. Minnesota’s team websites relays some of the basic stats from recent seasons: “In two seasons at Texas A&M Commerce, saw action in 21 games with 88 tackles, including 13.5 for loss, 7.5 sacks, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.” Pretty good numbers, but keep in mind where they were occurring. Getting to 7.5 sacks at Alabama is different from Texas A&M Commerce.
In fairness, there has already been an effort to round out the competition. The UDFA batch of players includes some more help for the defensive line. Tyler Manoa and Taki Taimani will not only be looking to make the final roster but to show that they can help on Sundays. Will they be up to the task?
A major part of the plan is to lean on the edge rushers.
Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner are all going to soak up plenty of snaps. And then Jihad Ward stands out as an edge rusher who could slide down into a 3T spot given his good size and history of moving into a lineman spot.
When everything gets added up, does Minnesota have enough? Keep in mind that Minnesota is working through life after Kirk Cousins. Yes, the long-time QB1 wasn’t perfect, but he did offer predictably strong play from the game’s most important position. A journeyman veteran (Darnold) and upside rookie (McCarthy) don’t offer the same floor.
In other words, the defense could need to elevate its game to offset a potential step back for the offense.
The Spotrac free agency tracker lists several notable names along the d-line. Dustin Baker has mentioned him a few times over on Vikings Territory, but Calais Campbell jumps out as someone who could be a nice add. The 6’8″, 282-pound veteran snagged 6.5 sacks last season, a number that would have led Minnesota’s defensive line by a comfortable margin (Phillips led the charge with 3).
Minnesota doesn’t have complete financial freedom, but there’s a bit of room in the budget. Don’t be shocked if there’s another addition along the defensive line.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference 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.