The Vikings Employ Some Dismal DTs, Hints Leading NFL Site
Do the Vikings employ some dismal defensive tackles? Most would say no, but others aren’t as convinced, such as Pro Football Focus.
Now, PFF’s grading system doesn’t say things very explicitly. Rather, the grades communicate without words. Numbers are shown on the screen and there’s even an effort to contextualize those numbers. Vikings DT1 Jonathan Allen has earned a 49.5 grade, leading to being listed as the 100th DT out of 120 under consideration. What of Javon Hargrave? The DT2 is sitting on a 44.0 grade, getting slotted into 109th out of 120 accordingly.
Do The Vikings Employ Some Dismal DTs?
Universal applause was the reaction back in March.
The Vikings, long hampered by suboptimal pass-rushing talent at defensive tackle, opted to spend. Jonathan Allen came to town due to the promise of a three-year agreement and $51 million in compensation. There’s then Javon Hargrave coming in at $30 million across a pair of seasons. In both instances, Minnesota welcomed veteran DTs who had been cut by their previous teams, thereby preserving the potential compensatory picks.
Overall, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah appeared to have pulled off some savvy signings. Good size contracts but not record-setting ones and not deals that would cancel incoming drafts selections. Tip of the cap to you, Mr. Adofo-Mensah.
After four games, the signings have been somewhat underwhelming. Both players did wonderfully in Week 1 despite no shortage of frustration. Bears QB Caleb Williams was supremely elusive that night, refusing to be corralled by the talented twosome in the middle of Minnesota’s defense. Since then, Allen and Hargrave haven’t been as impressive.
In particular, one thinks of the run defense, or lack thereof.
Whenever a team is getting demolished on the ground, it’s fair to begin with the defensive linemen and the linebackers. Every front seven player wants to pin his ears back to sack the quarterback. The ability to get that chance consistently, however, only comes after nullifying the ground game. Stop the ground game and force the offense to pass, an outcome that allows big fellas like Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave to shine. Or, conversely, don’t stop the run and live within frustrating football where the other team gains 5+ yards seemingly every time the ball is given to a runner.
Allen and Hargrave are coming in as the Vikings’ two worst run defenders within the PFF grading system. The former is second-last with a 48.6 grade while the latter is in last with a 37.4 grade. Rounding out the bottom three is Dallas Turner, someone who has struggled to defend the run, as his 53.7 grade suggests.
Worse yet is that off-ball ‘backer Ivan Pace sees his overall defensive grade sitting at 42.1. Just the run defense portion of things sees Mr. Pace at 56.0. PFF says that the third-year defender has 8 missed tackles while PFR says that the third-year defender has 6 missed tackles.
As an off-ball linebacker, Pace works off of his defensive tackles much like a running back works off of his guards. The collective crew — DTs and LBs — need to push their game to a higher level.
In reality, neither Jonathan Allen nor Javon Hargrave are bad defensive tackles. PFF grades are helpful largely due to being easily digestible assessments but they aren’t the only way of comprehending a player’s impact, abilities, and performance. Coach Flores alongside the rest of the coaching staff are seeking to push the pair of starters higher but there’s no panic.
Jonathan Allen, 30, is sitting on 18 tackles, 2 QB hits, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 fumble recovery. Javon Hargrave, 32, is sitting on 16 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 QB hit, and 2 tackles for loss. Both have started all four games; both have been outplayed by fellow starter Jalen Redmond (13 tackles, 3 sacks, 3 QB hits, 4 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, and a 76.4 PFF grade).
Next up is a game against the Cleveland Browns, a team that will be keen to run the football since Dillon Gabriel is getting his first ever start.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
