Vikings Signing Former Saints DE Marcus Davenport to One-Year Deal

Davenport is a big, athletic pass rusher who has dealt with some injuries in his career.

The Vikings are signing former Saints defensive end Marcus Davenport to a one-year deal worth $13 million, according to NFL Network.

The #Vikings are signing pass-rusher Marcus Davenport, sources tell me, @MikeGarafolo, and @TomPelissero. He gets a 1-year deal worth $13M. Impressive.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 14, 2023

NFL contracts are rarely as simple as they look, so it'll be interesting to see the breakdown of Davenport's deal and how much money is guaranteed.

Regardless, this is a nice pickup for the Vikings and new defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Davenport is a big (6'6", 265), athletic (9.66 RAS coming out of college) edge rusher who has earned excellent PFF grades throughout his career. He dealt with some injury issues during his five seasons with the Saints, but he should be a highly impactful player for the Vikings if he's healthy.

This presumably signals the end of Za'Darius Smith's time in Minnesota. Smith reportedly wants to be released, but the Vikings could still look to trade him instead. Now that they've got a replacement in line, they'll likely feel comfortable moving on. For financial reasons, it would be a surprise if they have Davenport, Smith, and Danielle Hunter all on the roster next season.

Davenport was drafted 14th overall by the Saints in 2018 after improving his numbers in all four of his collegiate seasons at UTSA, peaking with 8.5 sacks, 17.5 total TFL, three forced fumbles, four passes defended, and a touchdown as a senior. He appeared in 63 regular season games over five seasons in New Orleans, starting 32 of them. Davenport recorded 21.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles with the Saints, including 9.0 sacks in 2021.

Although his raw numbers don't jump off the page, Davenport has been a force when healthy. Playing between 374 and 533 defensive snaps in each of his five seasons, he has never had a PFF grade below 71.8 — and his 88.8 grade in 2021 was elite. Davenport's size and athleticism make him an impactful player both as a pass rusher and in run defense.

The issue has been injuries. Davenport missed 19 games across five seasons with a variety of ailments, including injuries to his thumb, foot, and shoulder. The Vikings are betting on their training staff and hoping Davenport can stay healthy in 2023. If he does, he'll have a good chance to set a career high in snaps played in a starting role opposite Hunter.

Davenport turns 27 in September, so he's still in his prime. If he can stay healthy and have a big season in Flores' defense, he'll set himself up for a big payday next offseason, whether that's in Minnesota or elsewhere.

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