Stinging reviews of Minnesota's 'weak' defensive line
The Vikings have plenty of questions heading into the 2024-25 season, but their biggest weakness might be the defensive line. They made big changes on the edge swapping Danielle Hunter for Jonathan Greenard and drafting Dallas Turner, but does the interior have enough depth?
According to a recent Pro Football Focus (PFF) article written by NFL analyst Sam Monson, Minnesota has the No. 30 ranked defensive line in the league. Each team's d-line was slotted 1-32, and the Vikings came in third to last. The only teams to rank lower are the Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos.
"The Vikings' offseason free agency swap of Danielle Hunter for Jonathan Greenard was likely a downgrade, even if they got younger and cheaper in the process," Monson wrote. "Andrew Van Ginkel earned a 91.1 PFF overall grade last season, but that was a massive outlier in a career that has typically seen him post grades in the 60s and 70s. Rookie Dallas Turner will have high expectations, but the interior of this line is a weakness."
Another ESPN article ranked all 32 full rosters in the league and the Vikings came in at No. 23. The article named the interior defensive line as Minnesota's biggest weakness.
"Interior defensive line. Harrison Phillips is a serviceable veteran, though the 28-year-old struggled to generate much pressure last season (six pass rush wins). There's not a ton to love behind him, with journeymen Jonathan Bullard, Jerry Tillery and Jonah Williams positioned to handle the bulk of the snaps. The team's only draft day investment in the position was seventh-rounder Levi Drake Rodriguez," ESPN analyst Mike Clay wrote.
Minnesota allocated a lot of resources to the edge of the defensive line this offseason. They signed Greenard to a four-year, $76 million contract, Andrew Van Ginkel to a two-year, $20 million contract and they traded a 2024 fifth-round pick, a 2025 third-rounder and a 2025 fourth-rounder to select Turner with the No. 17 overall pick in the draft.
On the interior, the Vikings signed Jerry Tillery to a ione-year, $2.75 million contract, drafted Levi Drake Rodriguez in the seventh round and brought back Jonathan Bullard and signed Jonah Williams in free agency.
Harrison Phillips played a career-high 838 snaps last season but earned a career-low 59.7 overall PFF grade. He has a lot of pressure to get back to his 72.0 grade in 2022, as the Vikings have too many questions up front to thrive with anything less.
The Vikings will need to find impact from some unsung heroes if they want to improve their defensive play this season.
TONY LIEBERT