Breakout All-Pro DT Named as Free Agent Vikings Should Sign

Justin Madubuike would be a heck of an addition to Brian Flores' defense.

Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Justin Madubuike had himself a monster contract year in 2023. After totaling 8.5 sacks in his first three seasons, the 2020 third-round pick racked up 13 of them last season, earning Pro Bowl and second team All-Pro honors as one of the best players on the AFC's top seed.

Now he's a free agent. And in a recent article naming one player each team should sign this offseason, ESPN's Aaron Schatz matched Madubuike to the Vikings.

Defensive end Jonathan Bullard is a free agent, while 30-year-old Dean Lowry missed half of last season with a pectoral injury and has only 0.5 sacks over the past two years. The Vikings' defense improved significantly last season but could use improvement at 5-technique defensive end. Enter Madubuike, who can play as either a 3-tech tackle or a 5-tech end. In a breakout season, he had 13 sacks with a career-high 56 combined tackles and was named second-team All-Pro. He's a powerful pass-rusher who also is a strong run defender.

This would be a massive addition to Brian Flores' defense in Minnesota. The 26-year-old Madubuike is an interior pass-rushing force who finished with 64 pressures for the Ravens in his breakout campaign. He'd fit wonderfully alongside the more run-oriented Harrison Phillips in the middle of the Vikings' defensive front.

The only issue with this idea is that Madubuike might never end up hitting the market. If the Ravens can't get a long-term extension worked out, they could choose to franchise tag him to keep him around for one year at $22.1 million. But if that doesn't happen, the Vikings should be one of many teams interested in signing Madubuike to a long-term deal at around $20 million per season.

In the event that Madubuike remains in Baltimore in 2024 and the Vikings want to add an interior pass-rusher, they could try to reunite Christian Wilkins with Flores or take a chance on someone like Javon Kinlaw from the 49ers. Or they could wait until the draft and take Byron Murphy II from Texas in the first round.

Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY Sports

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