Vikings Linebackers

The Minnesota Vikings have added a lot of young talent to the roster in the past few years. Having seven first round picks from 2012-14 helps. That increase in talent will make for some tough roster decisions this August. Some of the toughest of those decisions will come at linebacker. Here are the linebackers currently on the roster.

Anthony Barr
Eric Kendricks
Chad Greenway
Emmanuel Lamur
Audie Cole
Edmond Robinson
Travis Lewis
Brandon Watts
Kentrell Brothers
Jake Ganus

Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks were high picks in the last two drafts. They were also UCLA teammates and should be Vikings teammates for hopefully a long time. At strong-side linebacker, Barr is on the verge of elite status. If he isn't already there. There are few players of his size (6'5" 255 lbs) in the league that can do things that he does. He can do anything expected of a linebacker. He's a disruptive pass rusher on the edge or on a blitz. He can run with backs and tight ends in coverage. He can defend the run sideline to sideline. As terrific as he's been in his first two seasons it just feels like he's barely tapped his potential. Kendricks might not have natural physical gifts of his long-time friend and teammate but he's a solid football player that has a knack for big plays. He started at middle linebacker for most of his rookie season. That's a tough spot for a rookie. He played well and often excelled. At 6' and 235 lbs he doesn't have ideal middle linebacker size but he doesn't look undersized on the field. Still, it's probably the reason that head coach Mike Zimmer said after the 2015 NFL Draft that Kendricks could eventually move to weak-side linebacker. No matter what happens it's pretty much a given that Barr and Kendricks will be 2/3 of the Vikings linebacker trio for a long time. Chad Greenway has been a linebacker staple in Minnesota since his first start in 2007. It's outstanding to see him back for one more season. His return is probably as important for his stability and leadership as it is for his play on the field. With the emergence of Barr and Kendricks, Greenway's on-field role has been reduced. He comes out for nickel packages which now covers about 2/3 of the defensive snaps. That reduced role lessens the toll on his 33-year old body. Despite his veteran status and proven talent he will likely face training camp competition from free agent addition Emmanuel Lamur. Zimmer is very familiar with Lamur from their time together with the Cincinnati Bengals. He's not the typical free agent addition coming to a new team. He's as comfortable with this defense as any Vikings linebacker. Edmond Robinson was a seventh-round pick out of itty-itty Newberry in the 2015 NFL Draft. He might be the player that comes the closest to Barr in terms of natural athletic talent. That alone could secure Robinson a roster spot as Barr has missed a few games in each of his two seasons. Robinson is a tremendously talented but raw football player. He still held his own when he got some playing time last season when injuries hit the linebacker position. He has a bright future if he continues to progress. Audie Cole probably comes the closest to the physical size that Zimmer would like at middle linebacker. Despite being a little limited athletically, he's been great in a couple of starting opportunities. I suppose the question has always been whether he can be an impact starter on a week-to-week basis. The fact that he's never been able to nail down that starting spot would appear to answer that question. His continued roster presence will probably be the toughest decision of a few tough decisions with this group. Brandon Watts is a speedy linebacker that has done some nice work when given a shot. Injuries have slowed his development a bit. Travis Lewis was added in free agency as much for his strong special teams play as his linebacker talent. When he was signed I figured that he was a lock for the roster. I'm not so sure now. Kentrell Brothers was the lone linebacker added in the draft. Based on his play last year I assumed that Kendricks was the Vikings middle linebacker of the present and future. I'm not so sure now. Brothers could be the player that bumps Kendricks to the outside spot that Zimmer suggested a year ago. Brothers is the prototypical middle linebacker in every way but height. Like Kendricks, he's 6' but at 245 lbs he's at least 10 lbs heavier. He's not as quick as Kendricks but he's a bigger, stronger football player. More importantly, his top traits are his smarts and instincts. He quickly recognizes where he's supposed to be and he gets there in a hurry. He seems like the ideal middle linebacker even if he's a little shorter than Zimmer might like. Jake Ganus is an undrafted free agent and has a long road to the NFL in front of him. It is a road that a lot of football players have succeeded in traveling. All that really matters is that he has his shot at the NFL.

My guess is that the following are locks for the roster.

Anthony Barr
Eric Kendricks
Chad Greenway
Kentrell Brothers

And Greenway will probably place strong competition from Lamur. The two may even split time in the base defense.

The Vikings usually keep six linebackers on the roster. I can see many combinations from the top nine players being part of the six. And who knows, maybe Ganus surprises everyone and forces his name into that conversation. But, here's my stab at the Vikings linebackers for 2016.

Anthony Barr
Eric Kendricks
Chad Greenway
Emmanuel Lamur
Kentrell Brothers
Edmond Robinson

I wouldn't be surprised if the special teams talents of Travis Lewis forces the Vikings to keep seven linebackers.

It wasn't too long ago that the Vikings linebacker position was a serious weakness. Those days are long gone. The talent now at the position will force some tough decisions in a few months.