Can The Vikings’ Rookie Defensive End Offer Some Sliding Sizzle?
One wonders if putting too much on Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins’ plate in 2025 is a bit of a risk. After all, we’re talking about a 5th-Round selection who had modest production in college. Better to bring him along slowly?
The intrigue for the Vikings’ rookie is that he’s built in a manner that suggests he’ll be capable of playing in several spots along the defensive front. Per the team website, Ingram-Dawkins is coming in at 6’5″ and 276 pounds. So, a bit light for a defensive lineman but pretty large for an edge rusher. Does that reality point us toward a future where he plays a bit of a hybrid position?
The Vikings’ Rookie as a Hybrid Defender
Last season, edge rusher Jihad Ward got shuffled up and down the defensive line. The hope was that the veteran — one who stands at 6’5″ and weighs 285 pounds — could offer some pass-rush sizzle.
The basic stats weren’t sensational for Mr. Ward, who played in all seventeen games while earning a pair of starts. The sacks? Just a single. The tackles were modest, as well, sitting at 10 by the end of the season. What’s notable is that he set a career high for QB hits, putting up 14 before the season’s end.
Even more important, perhaps, is that he did so while sliding up and down the defensive line. Seldom an edge rusher (58 snaps), Ward was tasked with lining up across from the guard (206 snaps) or offensive tackle (133 snaps) with consistency.
Kick things back to Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, the Vikings’ rookie who could end up slotting into a similar role.
At Georgia in 2024, the defensive lineman put together 185 snaps as an edge rusher, 173 snaps across from the offensive tackle, 90 snaps across from the guard, and then 20 across from the center. He even picked up a pair of snaps as an off-ball linebacker, further emphasizing that he’s an athlete with a strong understanding of his defense.
In fourteen games, Mr. Ingram-Dawkins snagged 19 tackles, 3 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, and 2 passes defended. Not sizzling statistics but a smattering of numbers across the board.
Harrison Phillips, Javon Hargrave, and Jonathan Allen are all well-established veterans who are going to be tasked with soaking up snaps. Phillips is going to specialize in being a rugged run-stuffer. Meanwhile, Hargrave and Allen are supposed to be the ones who collapse the pocket, making the quarterback skittish in the process.
There is, nevertheless, going to be opportunity for other players to step up. Jalen Redmond seems like a decent bet to build off his promising 2024 season, but there’s still going to be work that needs to get done.
Again, Ward is no longer on the roster and so, too, has Patrick Jones II been allowed to depart. Each one of these edge rushers put in a lot of work along the inside. Allen and Hargrave are going to get leaned on but both are older and coming off seasons with injury issues.
Some of the open snaps are going to get shuffled to Dallas Turner, but then one wonders about the rest of the edge rusher crew. After all, the other options are all UDFAs — either rookies or sophomores — so there’s a sense that Minnesota is walking into a situation where some unproven talent is going to need to step up.
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, 22, isn’t expected to be a world beater in Week 1. If, however, he can offer the defense somewhere around 5-10 quality snaps while sliding up and down the line — especially if there’s a touch of pass-rush sizzle — then Coach Flores is going to be pleased with the rookie.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, Sports Reference CFB, and PFF helped with this piece.
