Vikings Stalwart Appears to Have Been Squeezed Out of the Lineup
Jonathan Bullard, a Vikings stalwart in recent seasons, may need to continue his career elsewhere.
Since 2022 — the beginning of the Kwesi Adofo-Mensah & Kevin O’Connell era — Mr. Bullard has been a key player for the Vikings. True, his ceiling is limited, but he offered the team a relatively high floor as they took swings on defensive linemen with more upside (Ross Blacklock, Dean Lowry, Jerry Tillery). Presumably, Bullard’s days as a Viking are over.
Vikings Stalwart Jonathan Bullard & MIN’s Future at DT
Rugged and dependable, Bullard is like a third-line center in hockey. He isn’t going to score 30 goals or lead the league in points, but he’s going to be a tough, gritty matchup weapon who can help a team win.
The issue, of course, is simply that Minnesota has committed major money on improving up front. Former Commander Jonathan Allen and former 49er Javon Hargrave have both been brought to town. Presumably, they’ll be getting shuffled to keep their legs and lungs fresh. Is there enough room in that d-line rotation for Bullard to keep calling Minnesota home?
Mark Craig, a veteran journalist for The Star Tribune, offered some insight on the matter: “I really like Jonathan Allen. He has played 109 games. He has 42 sacks and 118 QB hits. Jonathan Bullard and Jerry Tillery have played a combined 212 games. They have a combined 18 1/2 sacks and 65 QB hits.”
So, there should be some expectation of a boost along the interior of the defensive line, especially since Craig’s tweet only considers Allen. Hargrave is in town, too. The new DT pair should be a lot to handle on third and long.
Over these past three seasons, Jonathan Bullard has played in 46 games, starting 38. He has played 319 defensive snaps (2022), 644 defensive snaps (2023), and 574 defensive snaps (2024). So, a key piece within the mix for both of Ed Donatell and Brian Flores.
Most recently, Bullard picked up 41 tackles, 1 sack, 3 QB hits, 7 tackles for loss, and 3 passes defended. He is, in short, a good player but not an elite difference maker. PFF gave him a humdrum 56.1 grade in 2024. The pass rush grade was down at 47.4 but his run defense grade was up at 63.4.
While there’s a lot of attention on the new additions in Allen and Hargrave — rightfully so — we mustn’t forget the in-house talent: Harrison Phillips, Jalen Redmond, Taki Taimani, and Levi Drake Rodriguez. The first name belongs to someone who offers rugged run defense while the final three names all belong to youngsters with upside.
If there’s a desire to do so, Jonathan Bullard will keep playing in the NFL. He can offer sturdy run defense as a veteran capable of being moved around the defensive line.
The defender is 31 and has been in the NFL since getting drafted in the 3rd Round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, 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 social media (Bluesky & Twitter). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.