Even Without Greenard, Vikings’ EDGE Duo Turns Heads
Though the Vikings selected nine players in the recent NFL Draft, the franchise’s most consequential move for the upcoming season might have been the departure of Jonathan Greenard. The pass rusher was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a pair of third-rounders.
That move has certainly hurt the defense, as he was one of the unit’s key players. The Vikings test the good old “next man up” mantra, handing the keys to the pass rush to third-year outside linebacker Dallas Turner.
Unless there’s a shocking development, the Vikings’ starting unit will feature 2024 first-rounder Dallas Turner and 2024 Pro Bowlers Andrew Van Ginkel. According to a list recently published by Bleacher Report, that duo still ranks 10th in the NFL. Ironically, Philadelphia isn’t part of the top 10 list.
Gary Davenport explained Minnesota’s position, “The Minnesota Vikings tallied 49 sacks a year ago—tied for fourth-most in the NFL. But the team will be rolling with something of a different duo on the edge this year after a draft-day trade sent Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles.”
“Of course, that transition began last year. Greenard missed five games for the Vikes in 2025, opening the door for a larger role for youngster Dallas Turner. The 23-year-old stepped up his game in a major way—after playing sparingly as a rookie, the 17th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft logged a team-high eight sacks, adding 66 total tackles and four forced fumbles.”
In his rookie year, Turner barely saw the field, averaging less than 20 defensive snaps per game. Of course, the presence of two eventual Pro Bowlers and a solid backup in Patrick Jones didn’t help.
Jones dipped ahead of Turner’s sophomore campaign and Greenard and Van Ginkel both opened the door for more Turner reps with injuries. Van Ginkel missed time with a neck injury and Turner stepped into his versatile role. Though not a disaster by any means, Turner couldn’t perfectly fill the void left by one of the league’s most unique players.
When Greenard suffered a shoulder injury, Turner was asked to get after the quarterback rather than dropping back and he exploded in that role. With Greenard gone, he’s primed to be the new full-time Greenard in that exact role.
“The Vikings had injury issues at the other end of the line as well a year ago—veteran Andrew Van Ginkel missed five games of his own and saw his numbers drop relative to his Pro Bowl 2024 campaign. But that Pro Bowl season showed what the 30-year-old is capable of—Van Ginkel flirted with 80 tackles and racked up 11.5 sacks,” Davenport added.
Van Ginkel is a unicorn. He’s disruptive as a rusher, but can drop back and ruin offensive plays in coverage. His fierce play against the run is also key to Flores’ approach.
While the top duo is still a decent group, the depth remains a problem. Davenport wrote, “Frankly, the Vikings could use a depth addition on the edge after dealing Greenard to the Eagles for a Day 2 pick. But the team’s starters are formidable, especially playing in Brian Flores’ ultra-aggressive defense.”
Flores has shown that he can facilitate pressure from other areas. Safeties and linebackers come to the Twin Cities if they want to blitz.
Regardless, a new backup outside linebacker should join the squad. Jadeveon Clowney is a name that has been floated, but others could fill that void as well.
The Vikings may not be able to fully replace what Jonathan Greenard brought to the table, but they don’t necessarily need to if Turner takes the expected leap and Van Ginkel stays healthy. The pairing offers enough explosiveness and versatility to keep Brian Flores’ pressure-heavy scheme functioning at a high level.
Still, the margin for error is thinner now without one key piece. One injury or a stalled development could quickly expose the lack of proven depth behind them. That makes the next few months important, whether it’s through a late free-agent addition or an internal breakout.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.