Out:
Eric Kendricks
Ifeadi Odenigbo
Jalyn Holmes
Cam Dantzler
Chris Jones
That’s four defensive starters and the third corner, so it’s basically five defensive starters.
The sad thought is of what the Vikings defense might’ve been this season. The defense that had been dominant for most of the past five seasons was going to be different this year. Salary cap constraints had forced an offseason overhaul of the cornerback position. I wasn’t too worried about that seeing as last year’s corners didn’t set a high bar. Two long-time starting defensive linemen needed to be replaced. Change is inevitable in the NFL. The Vikings’ defense had defied that for a remarkably long time. What happens annually across the league was finally happening in Minnesota. Change. The Vikings’ defense was going to be different. There was no reason to think that they would be terrible. There was actually reason to believe that they would be very good. I thought that they would be very good but then I’m usually optimistic about things. This is the defense that everyone connected to the team expected to see on the field this season.
DE Yannick Ngakoue
3T Jaleel Johnson
NT Michael Pierce
DE Danielle Hunter
LB Anthony Barr
LB Eric Kendricks
LB Eric Wilson
CB Cam Dantzler
CB Jeff Gladney
S Harrison Smith
S Anthony Harris
-Some combination of Cam Dantzler, Jeff Gladney, and Mike Hughes would fill the cornerback positions in nickel. I’m going Dantzler and Gladney on the outside and Hughes inside. But that’s just me.
I’m of the opinion that the Vikings made the bold move in August to acquire Yannick Ngakoue to pair him with a healthy Danielle Hunter and not to replace an injured Hunter. I don’t think that the team’s decision-makers knew of the seriousness of Hunter’s “tweak” at the time of the trade.
I like this defense. I wish that I could’ve seen this defense on the field for even one game.
This might be the defense that the Vikings will be trotting out tomorrow to face the Detroit Lions.
DE D.J. Wonnum
3T Jaleel Johnson
NT Shamar Stephen
DE Jordan Brailford
LB Troy Dye
LB Todd Davis
LB Eric Wilson
CB Jeff Gladney
CB Harrison Hand
S Harrison Smith
S Anthony Harris
-In nickel situations, which is damn near every situation these days, Dylan Mabin or Cordrea Tankersley might join his teammates on the football field. Should be interesting.
-The starting defensive ends ruled out for the game (Ifeadi Odenigbo and Jalyn Holmes) are/were starters because Danielle Hunter missed the season and Yannick Ngakoue was traded.
Come on! This is more of a fourth game of the preseason defense than a regular season defense. I can’t recall ever seeing a defense so depleted by the end of a season.
With the progress made by rookie corners Gladney and Dantzler, the “dream” defense had the talent and potential to be one of the league’s best. The “actual” defense was too often a disaster.
The Vikings must improve at three-technique. Whether that means incumbent Jaleel Johnson or even Armon Watts stepping up in a big way next season or selecting a difference-maker in the first round the draft, the Vikings must get much better play from the interior of the defensive line. They need better play from the ends as well but getting a healthy Danielle Hunter back on the field is a terrific start in the right direction. Vikings defensive linemen must be a constant nuisance in the offensive backfield. They rarely were this year. Getting Michael Pierce on the field will help but more, much more, is needed at three-technique.
At least we got to see some young football players in regular season action that we probably wouldn’t otherwise have seen. In that sense, it was a season of preseason games for the defense. I believe that I’d much rather see the Vikings playing in January than seeing street free agents forced into meaningful snaps. It’s been a very difficult season for the defense of the Minnesota Vikings. I’m surprised that Mike Zimmer survived it. I’d like to think that they will be better for this year’s struggles. I believe that the snaps and pressure given to and put on rookie corners Gladney and Dantzler will benefit them moving forward. Those two are big reason why I can’t wait to see the 2021 version of this defense. Finally seeing Michael Pierce in a Vikings uniform will be great as well. A healthy Danielle Hunter back on the field? I like that. Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr together again? Yes, please. I can’t wait to see Harrison Smith back to doing everything that he does and no longer having to baby-sit the rest of the secondary. The Vikings’ defense was a tough watch this year. They never had the opportunity to be what they were supposed to be. As soon as training camp opened, integral players were being plucked away. By the time December rolled far too much was gone. This season is a game away from being put in the books. It’s time to think about what might be rather than what might’ve been.
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