Georgia Defender Visits Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings haven’t drafted anyone from the University of Georgia since Lewis Cine in 2022. Joining the club as a highly-touted safety, an injury a few weeks into his debut season and the coordinator change in 2023 surely hurt his odds to succeed, and he was waived after his third preseason. A former teammate of his could be on Minnesota’s wishlist.
Georgia Defender Visits Vikings
Warren Brinson, a defensive lineman, spent five years at Georgia and won two national championships, one of them with Cine.
The Vikings hosted him for a pre-draft visit. KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson posted on Sunday, “Georgia
@GeorgiaFootball defensive lineman Warren Brinson visiting #Chiefs today, per a league source (6-5 6/8, 316, 5.09 speed, 31 vertical, six career sacks) visited #Vikings #Panthers, & #Falcons local day, private workout #Saints, Zooms #Packers #49ers, #Chiefs #Cardinals.”
Brinson played in 59 games with the Bulldogs, securing 71 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and six sacks. Georgia’s defenders rarely put up huge numbers because the defense is usually stacked, and everyone has a specific job.
The defender recently said in an interview with The Draft Network, “I was playing sound. I wanted to play sound defense. My biggest thing was to do my one of 11. I was playing disciplined football. I realized as the seasons went on, the plays come to you when you’re doing your job. It was a blessing to put up those numbers this year. I wish the numbers were even better, but I was happy with what I put on film.”
His presence would provide a well-needed infusion of youth for Minnesota’s defensive line that primarily features 29-year-old Harrison Phillips as well as free-agent newcomers Jonathan Allen (30) and Javon Hargrave (32).
Lance Zierlein (NFL.com) summarized his draft profile, “Brinson is the best version of himself when he’s allowed to get up the field and make things happen. He gets upfield with purpose and pad level. He can get skinny, swim and rip his way into gaps to disturb the run design and compromise the quarterback’s pocket. He has adequate strength at the point but won’t control blockers or beat back double teams at a high enough rate when runs come downhill at him. Brinson’s rush talent and disruptive qualities should fit one-gapping defenses looking for a rotational piece to create chaos inside.”
All of that pretty much sounds like a guy the Vikings could use in Brian Flores’ DL rotation. He would compete with sophomores Levi Drake Rodriguez and Taki Taimani and 2024 breakout defender Jalen Redmond for roster spots and roles on the defense. Having another interior disruptor with the ability to rush the passer and blow up a running play is a decent idea.
According to NFL Mock Draft Database, he ranks in the 300s on the big board, meaning he will either be a late-round pick or even available as an undrafted free agent, where the Vikings have been highly active under this regime.
The Vikings only have four draft picks at this point, including the 24th overall pick and a compensatory pick awarded to Minnesota for Kirk Cousins’ departure a year ago. In addition to that, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has a fifth-rounder and a sixth-rounder. The latter pick was part of the deal that brought Jordan Mason to the Twin Cities.
The draft will take place from April 24th to April 26th in Green Bay. Perhaps Brinson could be on his way to Minnesota in that three-day span.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
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