New Vikings Defender Has a Sweet Nickname
The Minnesota Vikings have hired numerous exciting free agents, and having the financial ability to spend big was fun to watch in the first week and change. Perhaps the most fascinating element is that the front office finally addressed the ongoing weaknesses on the offensive and defensive lines.
New Vikings Defender Has a Sweet Nickname
Former Colts Will Fries and Ryan Kelly team up in purple to improve the offensive line, and former Pro Bowlers Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave were hired to provide more interior pass rush.
The latter was introduced on Wednesday, and he was asked about his nickname, Gravedigger.
“I really didn’t think [anything] about it then, I did think it was a cool nickname when he (his college coach) made it. That’s why I made it my Instagram handle, basically, I made it my Instagram handle when Instagram first came out when my college D-coordinator gave me the nickname, but it just kind of stuck with me. Everybody in college started calling me that, and then, when I got to the NFL, it just took off. I just love it.”
Of course, Gravedigger has a connection to his name, Hargrave. In addition to that, it’s needless to say what a defender’s job is when it comes to quarterbacks, so it’s quite fitting for a scary defensive lineman.
Hargrave was hired to get after the quarterback; that’s what he does. Among interior defensive linemen, Hargrave produced seasons with 52, 57, and 61 QB pressures between 2021 and 2023. Just for context, each of those numbers would’ve ranked him ahead of Andrew Van Ginkel, only behind Jonathan Greenard on the 2024 Vikings, blowing out any interior lineman.
Last year, Hargrave only played in three games until a tricep injury ended his season. The Vikings hope he can return to his pre-injury self.
Asked about his injury, Hargrave updated folks with a vague but optimistic outlook, “I’m in a good spot right now. I mean, I ain’t about to go out there and punch and play football yet, but I came a long way, and I’m in a great spot right now with my tricep.”
He doesn’t need to be in football shape at this point. The Week 1 game is still almost six months away.
In his previous eight seasons, Hargrave had been a fairly dependable player, appearing in at least 15 games each year.
He has played in 130 career games, tabulating 45.5 sacks and 380 tackles along the way, playing for the Steelers (2016-2019), Eagles (2020-2022) and 49ers (2023-2024). Hargrave is a two-time Pro Bowler.
Interestingly, he bonded with new teammate Jonathan Allen at the Pro Bowl following the 2021 season and is excited to be around great players like Allen, Jonathan Greenard, and Harrison Phillips.
“I met Jonathan (Allen) a couple years ago at the Pro Bowl. We actually exchanged numbers at the Pro Bowl in 2021, so I kinda new him, but I think with all the guys, they’ve been in the league for a little while and just respect their games. They all do a little something different, but I just know they’re all talented players and great players and I feel like for my best to come out, I need to be around a lot of great players.”
The Vikings have struggled in the past to pressure offenses in the middle; with the addition of Allen and Hargrave, that should change and make Brian Flores’ defense even scarier.
The man emphasized that he looks forward to hearing the Skol Chant, the Gjallarhorn, and the crowd in U.S. Bank Stadium. Meanwhile, Vikings fans surely look forward to seeing the best interior pass rush they’ve had in a long time.
Hargrave just turned 32. He is coming off an injury and isn’t getting any younger, but if he can revive his prime, the Vikings will have one of the elite defensive fronts in the entire NFL.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Standout Viking Deserves an Immediate Raise
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt