Vikings Defense

Mike Zimmer is working his defensive magic in his first shot at an NFL head coaching job. It looks like he might be building a defense that can more than cope with the offensive fireworks that can be found in Green Bay and around much of the league. In a single season he turned the Minnesota Vikings defense from horrible to respectable. If he can continue the climb the Vikings might have one of the league's best defenses as soon as this season.

The Minnesota Vikings defense was really bad in 2013. Historically bad. They couldn't keep leads the few times that they had one because the defense rarely stopped the opponent from scoring. The Vikings ranked 32nd in scoring defense, 31st in total defense, 31st in passing defense. They were a middle-of-the-road 16th against the run but that was simply because teams had so damn much fun passing against them. That thorough sadness got Leslie Frazier fired and Mike Zimmer hired. Buh-bye cover-2. Hello attacking, press-man coverage, double-A gap threatening, maybe blitzing, maybe not, fast and swarming. A defense that keeps an offense guessing. I like that kind of defense.

In Zimmer's first year as head coach the Vikings defense made great leaps in the right direction. They ranked 11th in points. 32nd to 11th! They were 7th against the pass. 31st to 7th! I doubt that they've had a top-10 against pass defense since the Reagan Administration. They were 14th in total defense. Offenses did find it easier to run against the Vikings as they dropped from 16th to 25th. That is one area that needs to improve in Zimmer's second season with the Vikings.

The Vikings defense should make another leap forward this season simply because the players are in their second season with this defense. It was all so new last year. Now it isn't. This is also a very young defense with another year of experience in the league. The Vikings used their first three picks in the 2015 NFL Draft on defensive players. That adds more top-end talent to an already young and talented defense.

A mid-June projection of the Vikings 2015 starting defense looks like this:

DE  Everson Griffen
DT  Sharrif Floyd
DT  Linval Joseph
DE  Brian Robison
LB  Anthony Barr
LB  Eric Kendricks
LB  Chad Greenway
CB  Xavier Rhodes
CB  Trae Waynes
 S    Harrison Smith
 S    Antone Exum

The position most up for grabs is the safety spot opposite Harrison Smith. Incumbent Robert Blanton should have the lead heading into training camp but there will be a battle between Blanton, Exum, Andrew Sendejo and undrafted rookie free agent Anthony Harris. This could shape up to be the best position battle of the summer. I have Exum taking it but that's only a guess and it truly is up for grabs. Harrison Smith and Xavier Rhodes are the heart of the secondary. Smith is already one of the better safeties in the league. Rhodes has improved in each of his two NFL seasons. Especially last year in his first year with Zimmer and secondary coach Jerry Gray. By the end of the last season Rhodes was one of the best corners in the league. Trae Waynes was the 11th pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. He has the talent to excel in the NFL. If he can quickly learn the specifics of Zimmer's defense the Vikings will have a terrific young cornerback combo. Newman was brought in this offseason to ease any transition to an untested rookie. He's played for Zimmer in Cincinnati and Dallas. He knows the defense and can still make an impact at the grand age of 37. Captain Munnerlyn, Josh Robinson, and Jabari Price should provide nice depth at the position. The Vikings have to improve the run defense from last year. A step in that direction was drafting Eric Kendricks in the second round. They really needed an impact player in the middle of the defense. A versatile defender that can stay on the field for all three downs. Kendricks was that sort of player at UCLA. He should be that sort of player for the Vikings. He's a bit undersized at 6-foot and 235 lbs. but he's smart, instinctive, athletic, and active. Anthony Barr was terrific as a rookie last year and has the football skills to be a star in the league. He was a friend, teammate, and roommate of Kendricks at UCLA. Their teaming together in the NFL should be as smooth as they come. Chad Greenway is the veteran and leader of the linebackers, if not the entire defense. He heads into training camp as the starter at weakside linebacker but will be seriously challenged by the fast and active Gerald Hodges. Injuries severely cut into Greenway's play last year. Those injuries hurt both his effectiveness and availability. His excellent Vikings career is winding down but he can still be effective. On the field and off. The Vikings line is solid despite the needed improvement against the run. They should play better simply because they have been in Zimmer's defense for a year. They'll be able to react faster due to a better understanding of their roles and responsibilities. More reacting and less thinking. Everson Griffen was great in his first year as a starter. He's a terrific pass rusher and stout against the run. There was a stretch of games in October in which he couldn't be blocked. Brian Robison doesn't collect a lot of sacks but he's often in the backfield and usually hassling quarterbacks. Third-year defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd could be the sort of defensive football player that Zimmer had with Geno Atkins in Cincinnati. Floyd just has to stay healthy. When he's on the field he's a defensive force. Quick and explosive. Linval Joseph had some nice moments in his first year in Minnesota. He just needs to have more of those moments. He's the big-bodied defender that the Vikings need to keep blockers off of Kendricks and his linebacking mates. Zimmer wants a consistent rotation among his defensive linemen. They got that from the tackles last season with Tom Johnson and Shamar Stephen providing solid play and minutes. The Vikings didn't get the same sort of contribution and production from their backup ends. In many respects Griffen and Robison had to go it alone. Johnson can slide to end but the Vikings need more from their backup ends. Scott Crichton basically had a redshirt rookie year last year. He only played a handful of snaps. He's looked very good in the offseason so he may be ready to contribute this year. The Vikings need him. Third-round pick Danielle Hunter is very raw but an athletic freak. He might be a year away from making a consistent impact but his natural ability might produce some big plays this year.

Mike Zimmer has really turned this defense around in a very short time. He's loaded his coaching staff with teachers. That coaching and teaching and the defensive talent now on the roster have expectations running high. Well, the defense in addition to a talented young quarterback and the return of a certain running back have resulted in high expectations in Minnesota. The pass defense was greatly improved last year. It should be even better this year. It's the run defense that has to improve. It remains a question until the Vikings show improvement in games that count. Adding Kendricks in the draft was a big step toward improvement but it's on the defensive line to make running the ball a chore for opposing offenses. A better familiarity with Zimmer's defense will help. So will improved depth and a more effective line rotation. Better talent, better depth, and Mike Zimmer are three excellent reasons to expect an improved Minnesota Vikings defense this year.