Brian Flores’ reputation precedes him. The Minnesota Vikings are never completely out of a game thanks to his ability to generate pressure and turnovers, which is why he’s consistently regarded as one of the great defensive minds in football.
In a Flores defense, with great power comes great versatility. It’s no secret that the defensive coordinator loves players who can play both off-ball and on the edge, deep in centerfield as well as up in the box. It’s that type of positionless football that makes his scheme so devastating.
Andrew Van Ginkel and Josh Metellus have been the poster boys for these “Joker” positions, if you will, and have helped to bring Flores’ madness to life. But this year, Flores has doubled down on his bet on versatility. It’s worth wondering if he’s taken it a bit too far.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that finding players who are good at literally everything might be challenging. It’s not easy to find players who can drop into coverage while also effectively rushing the passer, or sky for a one-handed interception as easily as lay a thumping hit in the hole.
The Vikings hit the jackpot with Van Ginkel, who has shown he could play darn near every position on defense if needed. Since coming to Minnesota in 2024, Van Ginkel is one of three defenders in the NFL with at least 10 sacks, 10 passes defended. and 20 QB hits.
Metellus has lined up pretty much everywhere but nose tackle at some point. Last season he lined up on the defensive line 43 times, in the box 315 times, at slot 124 times, out wide 35 times, and at free safety for 350 snaps. With a scheme that relies on disguise and confusion, having multiple players who can move around anywhere is a cheat code. Then Flores went out and added even more of these positionless players.
Jake Golday, Minnesota’s second-round pick in April’s draft, lined up in the box 320 times, the slot 251 times, and edge 122 times in 2025 with Cincinnati according to PFF. It’s easy to see why many have already compared him to Van Ginkel. While he’s been mostly getting work in with the off-ball linebackers, the ultimate goal for him will be to seamlessly move back and forth from the edge.
Their first-round pick from this year, Caleb Banks, can line up everywhere. At 6’6″, 327 lbs., he’s got the size to play a true nose and the athleticism to move all the way down the defensive line. Depending on the sub-packages the Vikings develop for him, he could end up playing every spot on the line all in one game.
Besides the rookies, Eric Wilson is also a valuable chess piece — as is Harrison Smith, of course, if he returns.
So, what’s the problem here? Flores has a type, and the Vikings loaded up on positionless players essential to the controlled chaos he creates. Well, there’s no issue — until there is one.
If these types of players grew on trees, life would be easy. But there just simply aren’t Andrew Van Ginkels or (sigh) Kyle Hamiltons around every corner. It’s hard to find a guy who can excel in multiple areas. Therefore, it’s fair to question if the Vikings have caught lightning in a bottle and overestimated their ability to keep doing so.
When you hit on these players, the payoff is incalculable, but a miss leaves a jack-of-all-trades and master of none as a liability on the defense. Not to mention, finding a player you trust to execute not just one position but multiple requires someone with deep knowledge of the game and a high football IQ. Again, how many guys are actually out there who can learn, play, and succeed across several spots?
All this to say, if Golday and Banks are who we thought they were, Flores and the 2026 Vikings defense is going to become nightmare fuel for the entire league.
On the other hand, if Golday can only handle off-ball duties, edge depth might have some real concerns. If Banks can’t anchor the middle in the run game and we end up with a remix of the Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave line of last season, pressure gets turned way up on fellow rookie Domonique Orange.
Flores has finally assembled his army of Floresanos, but it comes with risks. There’s a good reason teams haven’t created rosters full of positionless, versatile players: It’s extremely difficult to do. Still, if there’s anyone out there who would be elite at identifying these types of players, it would be Flores.
If the Vikings truly have found half a dozen of these guys, it’s game over for the rest of the league. However, that unimaginable feat is a Caleb Banks-sized if.
