In a Single Move, The Vikings Could Charge Up the Pass Rush and Buy a Draft Pick
Since the 2025 NFL Draft concluded, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah hasn’t shown much of an appetite for adding talent (excluding UDFAs, of course). The conclusion of the UFL season could unlock a bit of spending, but one wonders about a more aggressive move.
More specifically, the Vikings could make a move for edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney, a veteran with impressive ability. He was recently cut by the Panthers, meaning the NFL’s free-agent cluster of talent gained a prominent pass rusher. Does a fit in the Twin Cities actually make sense?
The Vikings Could Add at EDGE: Jadeveon Clowney
First, a bit of background, courtesy of The Athletic.
Joseph Person offers some clarity: “Two weeks after taking a pair of SEC pass rushers during the second night of the NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers cut Clowney in the biggest of several roster moves before Friday’s start of rookie camp.” Apparently, the defender is quite motivated to shine in his next stop, explaining, “‘I’m definitely gonna play well. You can mark my word on that. I don’t care where I end up playing at, I’m gonna play extremely well.'”
Person also explains that there was an attempt to move the defender in a trade: “[GM Dan] Morgan reached out to several teams before the draft to gauge trade interest in Clowney, then unsuccessfully shopped him again following the draft, according to a league source. Clowney said Morgan offered him a chance to stay if he agreed to take a pay cut, but he declined.”
Step back a bit to consider the appeal of adding Mr. Clowney.
The No. 1 selection in 2014, Clowney stands at 6’5″ and weighs 266 pounds, giving him excellent size for the position. He ran a blistering 4.53 forty, a time that’s faster than notable pass rushers such as Danielle Hunter and Jonathan Greenard. In fact, Clowney tested like an elite athlete, coming in ahead of almost all edge rushers in the NFL.
PFF gave him impressive grades for his work in 2024. He finished off with a 70.8 grade, good for 47th among the 211 qualifying edge rushers. His pass-rush grade came in at 73.2 (30th) and his run defense was a still-respectable 63.4 (84th).
ESPN’s pass-rush win rate puts Clowney at 13th in the NFL last year, just a few spots below Greenard. The suggestion is that he was more disruptive than his 5.5 sacks suggest. Even more promising is that Clowney grabs bronze in the run stop win rate, coming in behind only Rashan Gary and Maxx Crosby.
So, the veteran can still play.
Adding Jadeveon Clowney would not be about displacing Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel at the top of the edge rusher rotation. Rather, it would be about building the depth, giving the Vikings what could reasonably turn into the most fearsome foursome of pass rushers in the NFL: Greenard, Van Ginkel, Clowney, and Dallas Turner.
Since he got released in May, Jadeveon Clowney didn’t get a chance to test free agency. Would a single-season deal with Minnesota be appealing to the veteran? Quite possibly, he could shine on a team with a brilliant defensive coordinator and on a roster that’s going to play in a lot of prominent games. Do well and get a chance to snag a (relatively) strong deal next offseason.
No, he isn’t going to land major NFL money, but something in the medium range could make sense. After all, it was March of 2024 when Carolina brought him aboard for two seasons at $20 million. Folks, that’s enough to generate a compensatory selection. Could Minnesota employ Clowney for a year, get strong play, and then play the comp pick game in an offseason when money is tight?
Jadeveon Clowney first called Houston home. He did well for the Texans, but fell short of the expectations that stand alongside being picked so high. He was very good, earning a Pro Bowl nod alongside being a second-team All Pro in 2016, but the most sacks he piled up with the Texans came in at 9.5. After Houston, Clowney worked for Seattle, Tennessee, Cleveland, Baltimore, and Carolina.
Essentially, Jadeveon Clowney has become an assassin-for-hire as his career has proceeded. Being the EDGE3/4 in Minnesota would fit within that trend.
Jadeveon Clowney is 32.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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 Twitter and Bluesky (@VikingsGazette). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.
