Vikings Could Get a Defensive Reinforcement for the Playoffs
The Minnesota Vikings are in a relatively good spot from a health standpoint. Of course, the long-term absences of elite left tackle Christian Darrisaw, promising rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, and cornerback Mekhi Blackmon hurt, but compared to other teams, the roster can be considered in good shape.
Vikings Could Get a Defensive Reinforcement for the Playoffs
In Monday’s playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams, the Vikings could even get one injured player back. Kevin O’Connell mentioned during his Thursday presser that first-year defensive lineman Taki Taimani will be back soon.
“We will be opening up Taki’s (Taki Taimani) window today,” O’Connell reported. “He’ll be back on the practice field with us today, excited about that.”
In the preseason, three interior defenders showed a ton of promise. That included UFL standout Jalen Redmond and rookies Levi Drake Rodriguez and Taimani.
Earlier in the season, Taimani got some reps on Brian Flores‘ defensive line, but since his injury, Redmond has made a difference on the field.
Now that his 21-day window is open, the Vikings can activate him to the 53-man roster at any point within that three-week span. Considering the stakes of Monday’s game, seeing him return against Rams’ running back Kyren Williams makes sense.
Taimani entered the NFL draft out of Oregon, but he went unclaimed and signed with the purple franchise right after the draft. He was an underdog to make the roster coming into training camp, but dominated the opposing backups in the preseason and somewhat surprisingly jumped on the 53-man roster. Not only that, but he also clinched a rotational role over Rodriguez, for whom the Vikings spent a seventh-rounder in the draft.
Through the first seven games of the season, Taimani appeared in every game and registered 70 defensive snaps and 34 on special teams. He is listed with three combined tackles. It should be noted, though, that a nose tackle is not in the game to rack up huge numbers.
Minnesota employs eight defensive linemen.
- Harrison Phillips
- Jonathan Bullard
- Jalen Redmond
- Jerry Tillery
- Levi Drake Rodriguez
- Taki Taimani (IR; designated for return)
- Travis Bell (Practice squad)
- Jonathan Harris (practice squad)
If Taimani returns in time for the playoff battle, it still remains to be seen whether he will enter the rotation. The top four players on the list are likely to compete, but Taimani would surely be slotted ahead of Rodriguez.
The 25-year-old rookie with the number 94 could be asked to help contain Sean McVay’s running game. He is one of the better run defenders and an option on obvious running downs.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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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