The Vikings’ Next Signing May Be One Nolan Teasley is Familiar With
The Vikings sport quite the exciting starting duo at edge rusher. However, the room behind Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel is quite thin.
During the 2026 NFL Draft, the Vikings traded Jonathan Greenard and the 244th overall pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for the 98th overall pick and a 2027 3rd rounder. This trade came after Greenard made it very clear that he wants a pay raise, and Minnesota wasn’t on board with giving it to him. The Eagles were, and thus, the Vikings got what they could in exchange for him.
This move thrusted third-year edge rusher Dallas Turner into a starting role. Of course, this is an exciting move, seeing as Turner had some big expectations going into and coming out of the 2024 NFL Draft. However, it did create a depth problem at the position. The gentlemen behind Turner and Van Ginkel are not an experienced bunch.
- Bo Richter
- Chaz Chambliss
- Tyler Batty
- Jacob Roberts
- Cam’Ron Stewart
It’s fair to say the Vikings will need some extra help among their outside linebackers. There is some speculation that Minnesota will be trying out Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins at the position after his notably trimmed-out frame was photographed during OTAs. Ingram-Dawkins played defensive end along the interior in the Vikings 3-4 defensive scheme, often being inside of whoever was lining up at edge on his respective side relative to the snaps.
Still, there is no such thing as having too many edge rushers, and Brian Flores is absolutely subscribed to that school of thought himself. There are quite a few notable free agent edge rushers available, but you can make a “significant” tie between one of them and brand new Vikings GM Nolan Teasley.
Vikings GM Has Experience With Free Agent Edge Rusher Jadeveon Clowney
Back in 2019, while Nolan Teasley was the Seahawks’ Director of Pro Personnel, Seattle traded Barkevious Mingo, Jacob Martin, and a 2020 3rd round pick. Teasley may not have been the General Manager, but he absolutely played a heavy hand in the acquisition of Clowney. Bleacher Report gave us a good definition of exactly a Director of Pro Personnel does, in case you weren’t familiar.
“Reporting directly to the general manager, the director of player personnel deals primarily with the players already in the NFL.
Job responsibilities include the bulk of the contract negotiations with free agents, negotiating contract extensions with current players and scouting the other 31 NFL teams’ rosters—scouting other teams is typically delegated amongst a number of league scouts under the team’s employ, who answer directly to the DOPP.”
National Football Post also shared that Directors of Player Personnel have the job to “know every relevant player in the league who can possibly become available in any capacity and help his team.” By the job title’s definition, Teasley obviously had Clowney on a short list of candidates to beef up their edge rushing corps.
Due to his familiarity with Clowney, and the Vikings’ need for depth at the position, Clowney could be back on the short-list for a signing later this offseason. Even though Jadeveon turned out to be more of a “journeyman” or “mercenary” for teams around the league needing an edge rusher rather than live all the way up to his first-overall selection pedigree, he still brings plenty of value.
2025 was his 12th NFL season, and he spent with the Dallas Cowboys. He graded out in a mighty fine fashion per PFF.
- 79.2 overall grade (18th/115 ED’s)
- 80.6 pass rush grade (15th)
- 70.6 run defense grade (26th)
- 16.7% pass-rush win rate (17th among edge rusher that played at least 124 snaps)
- 9 sacks (21st)
- 26 solo tackles (32nd)
The Vikings Should Strongly Consider Signing Jadeveon Clowney
While Jadeveon Clowney turned 33 years old in February, he could still be very beneficial to a Vikings team that is looking to immediately compete in 2026.
One of the best ways to compete immediately in a “win now” situation is to have a deep and legitimate pass-rushing group. Jadeveon Clowney provides veteran leadership and the ability to contribute right away. Of course, Brian Flores is known for maximizing the value of his roster, but having a player like Clowney would provide a higher floor for the edge rushing unit as a whole.
To have someone like Jadeveon Clowney, who remains efficient into his mid-30s, would be a tremendous move for Minnesota. Nolan Teasley has obviously been a fan in recent years, and assuming the Vikings will be adding an edge rusher later into the offseason, Clowney may be at the top of the list of candidates.
