The Vikings’ Upside Defender Isn’t Who Most Think
To a certain extent, the discussion of an NFL roster’s upside players revolves around the young fellas, the ones who are either entering the NFL or who are primed for a promotion (think Donovan Jackson and Theo Jackson for a pair of purple examples).
The Vikings’ upside defender therefore stands out as being a bit unusual.
Indeed, one wonders if the most upside rests in defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, a well-established veteran who is one of the oldest players on the team. He has most recently put together an underwhelming season not due to ability (or lack thereof) but, rather, due to injury. Can he explode in 2025 for the Vikings’ new-and-improved defensive line?
Javon Hargrave as The Vikings’ Upside Defender
Drafted at No. 89 back in 2016, Mr. Hargrave has seen a ton.
The 32-year-old defender is among the five oldest players on the roster — Andrew DePaola, Harrison Smith, Ryan Kelly, and C.J. Ham round out the elderly fivesome — so we’re considering someone who is getting close to the end of his NFL journey. Even still, the point remains: there’s upside present with Javon Hargrave.
Consider one basic reality: he’s operating on a two-year deal that’s sitting at a total of $30 million. The other major free-agent add at defensive tackle — Jonathan Allen — snagged a three-year commitment coming in at $51 million. Even among the in-house options, Hargrave looks a bit cheap, which is to say nothing of the long list of DTs who are demanding a higher annual average.
Much of his upside rest in the past precedent of sack production. Yes, his total suffered in 2024 — he picked up a single sack in his three games played — but he was previously a menace, seeming to improve with age. He picked up 7 sacks in 2023 as a 49er and 11 sacks in 2022 as an Eagle. Across those two seasons, Hargrave picked up 30 QB hits alongside 18 tackles for loss.
Similarly notable is that Javon Hargrave’s production goes beyond just sacking the quarterback. In 2023, Hargrave came in at 9th in ESPN’s pass-rush win rate, suggesting that the defensive tackle was beating his blocker with regularity.
Ask any defensive coordinator. A coach will say that what a player does on a down-to-down basis means more than just sacks. After all, one would be considered a success if he picked up somewhere between 6-8 sacks. The basic reality, though, is that even 8 sacks represent a small portion of one’s playing time. For instance, Hargrave played 632 snaps in 2023 while earning 7 sacks. A DC is going to want to know what the DT did on the 625 plays when he wasn’t walloping the passer; the ESPN tidbit suggests that he was generating pressure with some consistency.
Furthermore, PFF is complimentary of Javon Hargrave, handing him a healthy 74.9 grade for his efforts in 2023. Back in 2022, he earned a very good 80.1 grade. Not Aaron Donald — who is? — but someone who makes a major impact.
The hope in Minnesota is that Javon Hargrave is going to be a piece of the puzzle. Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel are a ferocious twosome, a pair that won’t be sneaking up on anyone after each earned Pro Bowl nods and Defensive Player of the Year consideration in 2024 (AVG finished 7th in voting; Greenard was down at 11th).
Even better will be if Dallas Turner explodes as a sophomore, shining rather than slumping. Oh, and Allen is going to help, as well.
Working from within that pass rushing chaos will be Javon Hargrave, someone who was a tremendous player before succumbing to injury during the ’24 season. Look for him to show off some great upside if he’s able to stay on the field in 2025.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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