‘Do-It-All’ Defensive Lineman Named the Most Underrated Viking Heading into 2023

Sep 19, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Harrison Phillips. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports.

Every team in the NFL is bound to have players that go underappreciated for what they bring to the field on a weekly basis. When teams have 53 players on the roster at a time, it is bound to happen.

As the 2023 season approaches, William Moy of Pro Football Focus has compiled a list of underrated players for all 32 teams. Moy’s choice for the Vikings? None other than ‘do-it-all’ defensive lineman and 2022 free agency acquisition Harrison Phillips.

'Do-It-All' Defensive Lineman Named Most Underrated Viking
Oct 2, 2022; London, United Kingdom; Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Harrison Phillips (97) during the NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports

During his inaugural season with the Vikings after spending his first four NFL years with the Buffalo Bills, Phillips started 17 games and recorded 59 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 6 QB hits, 1.5 sacks, a pass defense, and a fumble recovery. Here is what Moy had to say for Phillips landing on his list of underrated players:

Phillips struggled as a pass-rusher last season, but he was stout against the run. He was one of 28 interior defenders last season to log at least 300 snaps defending the run and among that group, he ranked seventh with a 73.8 run defense grade. Phillips was 10th in positive grade rate when stopping the run while also posting the seventh-best negative grade rate.

Oct 16, 2022; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Harrison Phillips (97) poses for a photo after a game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports

Phillips did have some struggles as a pass-rusher in 2022, but he certainly could have been worse in that regard. His strength has always been as a run-stopper, but the defensive lineman recorded 24 pressures last season, including 7 against his former team in Week 10, and PFF gave him a pass-rush grade of 59.4.

Regardless, the Vikings are set to rely on Phillips’ prowess as a run-stopper even more this season with the departure of Dalvin Tomlinson in free agency. Tomlinson was given a run defense grade of 65.0 in 2022. Among all defensive linemen with at least 250 run defense snaps, he ranked tied for seventh in run-stop percentage at 8.8%.

Dec 17, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Harrison Phillips (97) reacts to a stop during the fourth quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Over the past few years, Minnesota’s run defense has been more of an ‘effort by committee’ rather than relying on one or two stars to contribute. Perhaps with the absence of Tomlinson, 2023 is the year where Phillips gets more of the limelight in the Vikings defense.

Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.

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