Look at the headlines of last year’s Minnesota Vikings team, and a few things stand out. Sam Darnold had a career resurgence. Justin Jefferson was a first-team All-Pro again. The defense tied for the league lead in turnovers.
All of these are great and are significant reasons why the Vikings made the playoffs again under head coach Kevin O’Connell. However, an underrated aspect was Brian Flores’ aggressiveness on defense, which allowed the Vikings to finish second in defensive DVOA and opponent EPA per play in the NFL.
Flores is known for his high volume of pass rushes, and last year, the unit led the NFL in blitz percentage (38.9%) for the second consecutive season. Their numbers decreased from 2023 (51.5%), but they still led the league in blitzes. They were also near the top in other pressure statistics, such as pressure rate (sixth), sacks (fourth), and tackles for loss (T-third).
Since then, the group has only upgraded. Not only are they consistently showing out in practice, but Warren Sharp named them the top front seven in the league a year after being predicted 25th.
For them to live up to this billing, Minnesota’s front seven must play even better than they did last year. That starts with the linebackers, where the Vikings brought back all four starters to build on a successful run last season.
On the outside, Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard are coming off of Pro Bowl years where they led the team with 11.5 and 12 sacks, respectively. They tied for fourth in the NFL with 18 tackles for loss each, in the same company as Trey Hendrickson and T.J. Watt. They thrived in Flores’ defense last year, and there’s no reason to expect they won’t do the same again.
They may even have some help this year. All eyes will be on last year’s first-round pick, Dallas Turner. He had limited opportunities last season, ceding snaps to Van Ginkel in his breakout season. Still, the Vikings see him as part of their future after they moved up in the draft to acquire him.
While Turner’s skill set makes him a solid option in coverage, the Vikings will use him more effectively as a pass rusher this season. Patrick Jones signed with the Carolina Panthers, so there’s really no one to take Turner’s reps as the third OLB. Getting 600 snaps seems reasonable and would double his total from last year, where he still picked up three sacks and an interception in his limited time.
Blake Cashman and Ivan Pace Jr. should continue to create havoc inside. Cashman already blitzed the second-most among middle linebackers last year, while Pace’s pass rush graded out as the third-highest in the league according to PFF (89.1). When they need to blitz, which will happen often under Flores, the middle of Minnesota’s defense will deliver.
The real challenge will be who steps up behind the two starters. The Vikings opted for a reunion with Eric Wilson for this purpose, but he’s never been a player who rushes the QB at a high volume. Then again, he’s never been part of a Flores-led defense. Wilson still brings a wealth of experience that will allow him to be on the field in some capacity.
Besides Wilson, there will likely be a lot of faith put into sixth-round pick Kobe King. He’s more known for his run-stuffing, but he can serve as a good understudy for Pace as he learns what Flores and his staff need out of him. After Cashman and Pace suffered short-term injuries last season, the Vikings sorely needed middle linebacker depth.
The linebackers were already a high point, but the area that will determine whether this front seven is the best in the league is the line. After getting a combined three sacks from their tackles last year, Minnesota signed veterans Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen to try to shore up one of their biggest flaws on that side of the ball.
Hargrave and Allen are two-time Pro Bowlers, with Hargrave consistently finishing top five in PFF’s pass-rushing ranks since moving over from nose tackle in 2020. They’re both in their 30s and missed most of last year because of upper-body injuries. It feels like injuries are the only thing preventing them from having a good season. The track records show they can make an immediate impact, and they’ll undoubtedly be an upgrade from what the Vikings had last year.
They retained Harrison Phillips and Jalen Redmond from last year, following the latter’s impressive end to the season. The second-year lineman will likely play behind Hargrave, but will get his opportunities after the Vikings re-signed him early on in free agency.
There’s also excitement around fifth-rounder Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins. Like King, he will have his chances to shine as a backup DT. His speed really stands out, and sitting behind established pass rushers like Hargrave and Allen can only bode well for him.
The talent, combined with its depth, gives this front seven a strong argument for being the best in the league. Combine that with Flores’ borderline psychopathic blitz packages, and it should be scary times for the rest of the NFL.
