The Vikings Are a “Hellacious” Bunch
Last offseason, there was a ton of uncertainty at the quarterback position. Kirk Cousins’ contract was up, and while the club worked on the succession plan, there was no replacement in the building. The suspense in that area completely overshadowed the edge rushing group that was about to lose Danielle Hunter, D.J. Wonnum, and Marcus Davenport – pretty much the entire production.
The Vikings Are a “Hellacious” Bunch
Indeed, all three departed in free agency, and the Vikings desperately needed to find some new edge talent. On day one of free agency, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah added Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. Little did we know it cost only $29 million per season to build one of the elite pass-rushing rooms.
Combined with Brian Flores’ unconventional approach of sending the house after the quarterbacks, the results were impressive in the inaugural season of the two newcomers and the second of the defensive master.
Gennaro Filice of NFL.com wrote this week, “Pass rush vs. pass coverage: Which is more crucial? It’s the eternal defensive debate, and Minnesota clearly puts greater value on heating up opposing quarterbacks. The Vikings’ front seven is loaded with hellacious QB hunters.”
The confusing and talented unit was a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks to face. The aforementioned Van Ginkel and Greenard, paired with guys coming from all angles and levels like Ivan Pace Jr. and Blake Cashman blitzing from the linebacker spot and safeties Harrison Smith and Josh Metellus providing some pressure, too.
“Last season, Jonathan Greenard (12 sacks) and Andrew Van Ginkel (11.5 sacks) comprised one of the most devastating edge-rushing duos in the league, with each earning a Pro Bowl nod,” Filice added. “And this offseason, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah scooped up a pair of established interior disruptors in Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Toss in well-rounded LB Blake Cashman, blitz ‘backer Ivan Pace Jr. and Swiss Army knife Josh Metellus, and mad scientist coordinator Brian Flores has all the components he needs to scramble the brains of opposing quarterbacks.”
The unit’s weakness in recent memory was clearly the lack of interior rushing capability. Jonathan Bullard and Harrison Phillips are great against the run, but provide little in the passing game.
After years of neglecting the issue, the Vikings acquired two former Pro Bowlers within minutes when Jonathan Allen and Javin Hargrave agreed to join the squad.
Add Dallas Turner to the mix, who the Vikings expect to take a decent step forward in his sophomore campaign after being drafted 17th overall. Suddenly, the front is stacked like few others around the NFL.
The Vikings, however, need those contributions from the front because the secondary is a mystery at this point, Filice explained.
“Constant chaos is a must, though, because this unit looks quite suspect from a pure coverage perspective. Byron Murphy Jr. is the best of the bunch, but he does some of his finest work as a slot corner. The other outside options — headlined by Isaiah Rodgers, Jeff Okudah and Mekhi Blackmon — leave much to be desired. With all due respect to Harrison Smith, the hard-hitting safety is entering Year 14 at age 36 — and he’ll have to hold down the back end without ballhawk/dance choreographer Camryn Bynum, who got paid by the Colts in free agency.”
Murphy Jr. was re-signed after earning his sweet raise in a Pro Bowl campaign. Rodgers is expected to be the CB2, but he has never been in a full-time starting role. Neither has Blackmon, who missed the entire 2024 season. Okudah has never found any consistency in his pro career.
Safeties Smith and Metellus provide some security, but the third guy in the room, Theo Jackson, is another unproven player.
Minnesota has the talent to feature another top-ten defense, but it requires either the same level of disruption up front or a surprisingly strong secondary.
Filice concluded, “So, Flores needs to continue overwhelming opponents with waves of pressure. One thing that would help in this pursuit: a second-year leap from OLB Dallas Turner. The No. 17 overall pick in last year’s draft didn’t provide much as a rookie, but he entered the NFL with the athletic pedigree of an edge terror.”
Turner could be an x-factor for the purple organization.
Flores has some work to do in the next eight weeks to prepare his new-looking defense for his nemesis, Ben Johnson, whom he’ll be facing in Week 1.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.