For most of the past decade the Minnesota Vikings have had one of the best defensive lines in the league. It started in the middle with tackles Kevin and Pat Williams. Those two anchoring the inside gave the Vikings the best run defense in the league. Jared Allen and Ray Edwards pressured the passer from the outside. It was a complete and dominant defensive line that peaked in 2009. Edwards left first when he chased the big money in free agency. Brian Robison replaced him and has been mostly an overall improvement. Pat Williams wasn't re-signed following the 2010 season and has never been replaced. Kevin Williams and Jared Allen remained until they played their last game for the Vikings when the 2013 season ended. For a team that has known several great defensive linemen, four are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Kevin Williams and Jared Allen are among the best. They will be missed. It will be strange seeing the Vikings defense without #93 and #69 on the field. It's a whole new defensive line in Minnesota.
It's difficult to believe that Brian Robison is the old man of the line. It feels like he just cracked the starting lineup. He's been very good to often terrific since he replaced the inconsistent Edwards. Everson Griffen finally gets his shot at the spot dominated by Allen for the last six years. Many scoffed when the Vikings signed Griffen to a large contract extension this offseason. I doubt that the critics of his signing took the time to see him play. They must have looked only at his statistics. It's tough to get playing time when Allen rarely came off the field. When Griffen was on the field good things happened. He has the natural athletic ability to be a special player. Defensive tackle Linval Joseph was the Vikings big offseason signing. The Vikings have never been able to replace the interior presence of Pat Williams. Joseph is the first one skilled enough and big enough to do so. Shariff Floyd was the top pick last year. He gets his shot this year and has huge shoes to fill. He's replacing Kevin Williams. A defensive line of Everson Griffen, Shariff Floyd, Linval Joseph, and Brian Robison has the potential to approach the play of the great Vikings lines of the past. But, the real strength of the defensive line might be found in the depth and the rotation that results from it.
Head coach Mike Zimmer showed as the defensive coordinator in Cincinnati that he prefers to employ a defensive line rotation. That's a big change in Minnesota. Jared Allen and Kevin Williams rarely left the field. Free agent addition Corey Wootton and third-round pick Scott Crichton will rotate with Robison and Griffen at end. All of the Vikings defensive ends have seen time on the interior of defensive lines. They are verstile. They can stop the run. They can rush the passer with speed and strength. From the outside and inside. The defensive ends will occasionally see the presence of #1 pick linebacker Anthony Barr on their shoulder. He was a top-10 pick in the recent draft mainly for the tremendous pass rush potential he showed in college. Zimmer likely has a lot of plans for the very talented Barr. One of those is as an end in pass rushing situations. The depth at defensive tackle is much less set. Fred Evans has provided nice depth for a while. He's even started at times. Tom Johnson was another free agent addition. He provides some position flexibility as he also has some experience playing on the outside. Chase Baker had some nice moments at the end of last season. Shamar Stephen has potential as a late-round draft pick. The guess here is that the only set spots are Joseph and Floyd as the starters. The competition for the two or three backup tackle spots is wide open. Evans, Johnson, and Baker might have the edge now based solely on experience. However, none has experience with Zimmer's defense. One player does. Kheeston Randall was signed to a future's contract a few days after Zimmer was hired as head coach. Randall played for Zimmer in Cincinnati. He might have the head start over the other tackles.
Mike Zimmer's coaching and defensive expertise has ignited a great deal of hope for the season. The Vikings projected starters, and expected depth on defensive line adds to that hope. Griffen, Floyd, Jospeh, and Robison have the talent and potential to approach the play of the Vikings great line of Allen, Williams x2, and Edwards. The depth and line rotations of the Vikings new line gives them the chance to be even more effective.
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