Vikings training camp preview: Linebackers and edge rushers

The Vikings reloaded their linebacking corps this offseason

© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

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By Matthew Coller

Welcome to Part 2 of our training camp preview series: Linebackers and edge rushers. Of all the Vikings positions, this is the one that underwent the most construction over the offseason with Danielle Hunter, DJ Wonnum, Jordan Hicks and several depth players leaving. How did they replace them? Who might have a chance to fight for a spot? Let’s have a look….

The starters

Inside linebackers

Ivan Pace Jr.

Around this time last year we wouldn’t have expected Pace Jr. to make the roster. Now he’s expected to be a key piece of Brian Flores’ defense. The undrafted free agent won the starting job out of training camp over Brian Asamoah and never looked back, playing 704 total snaps and ranking as PFF’s 15th best linebacker.

The instinctual inside linebacker was effective across the board, picking up 15 QB pressures and ranking 9th in PFF pass rush grade, 9th in coverage grade and he allowed the lowest yards per reception into his coverage (5.7 YPC) of anyone in the league.

When Jordan Hicks went down with an injury, Pace Jr. was called upon to handle the defensive play calling abilities and handled things admirably. He said in OTAs that it helped him understand everyone’s assignments better going into this season.

Now he enters Year 2 as one of the leaders of the defense with extremely high expectations. It will be worth watching how he adapts to playing with a new partner in Blake Cashman. The fact that Cashman can be used more flexibly than Hicks may open up even more ways for Flores to use Pace Jr.

Blake Cashman

Because so many other things happened to the Vikings’ roster this offseason it might be easy to forget how good Blake Cashman was last year for the Houston Texans. He ranked as PFF’s fourth best linebacker overall, just a shade behind Demario Davis and ahead of CJ Mosley. He rated as a top 10 run defender and in coverage, where he only allowed 7.8 yards per pass into his coverage (9th best). The Vikings may view Cashman has more of a blitzer than he was for the Texans. He only received 38 chances to chase the passer, which is nearly 100 less than what Jordan Hicks was asked to do last year in the same role.

How Cashman appears to fit into the mix early and develops chemistry with Pace Jr. will be on the radar during training camp.

Edge rushers

Jonathan Greenard

It isn’t easy to replace Danielle Hunter but the Vikings found someone with production that was at least in Hunter’s ballpark in Greenard. He put together a 12.5 sack season in 2023 despite ranking 42nd in snaps count among edge rushers. The question for Greenard is whether he can stay healthy and repeat his breakout season. Prior to last year Greenard’s highest total was 8.0 sacks on 215 pass rush snaps. So his history suggests that his adjustment to Minnesota likely rests on whether he can stay on the field.

It will be interesting to see if Flores has any type of multifaceted role for him or if he remains as the right outside linebacker. In Houston he played more than 90% of his snaps on the right side.

Andrew Van Ginkel

One of the most effective pass rushers in the league last year, Van Ginkel had 53 pressures on 321 pass rush snaps and ranked 10th in pass rush win rate. He also rated as an above average run defender and played well in coverage in 147 snaps (just 12 receptions allowed into his coverage for 62 yards). When Van Ginkel played for Flores in 2020 he largely played on the right side, then in 2021 he split snaps between both sides and then in 2023 he was lined up on the defense’s left side. Bottom line: The Vikings signed one of the most versatile players in the league.

It would appear that he will hold down the left side with Greenard on the right but with the presence of first-round pick Dallas Turner there may be a lot of opportunities to mix and match with Van Ginkel. Like Greenard, health is a concern for the ex-Dolphin. He missed OTAs and minicamp recovering from a foot injury that he suffered last year and only played 333 snaps in 2022.

Depth

Inside linebackers

Kamu Grugier-Hill

The journeyman linebacker has a lot of experience with over 2,500 NFL snaps but his play has largely hovered around replacement level. Out of 89 linebackers with at least 200 snaps Grugier-Hill ranked 85th by PFF. While he is best used sparingly on defense, the veteran can handle every aspect of special teams and could be even more valuable in that aspect now that the league is attempting to increase the number of kickoff returns.

Brian Asamoah

Heading into 2023 camp we expected Asamoah would easily hold down the starting position but early on it became clear that Pace Jr. was favored by Flores. Throughout the year Asamoah only played special teams, seeing just 36 total defensive snaps. Crazy stat: That’s fewer snaps than Anthony Barr played for the Vikings in 2023. The surprising thing about that is Asamoah played 121 snaps in 2022 and had flashes that suggested he would be a piece for the team moving forward.

Is he locked into a depth linebacker position or could someone else put him on the bubble? Or could he make significant progress after being relegated to the sidelines last year and become one of the surprises of camp?

Outside linebackers

Dallas Turner (R)

The Vikings gave up a heap of draft capital to acquire Turner with the 18th overall pick and it doesn’t take a background in scouting to see why. He was one of the most productive players in college football with the sixth best pass rush win rate in NCAA among starters and 10.0 sacks. At the NFL Combine he ran a 4.46 40-yard dash and posted a 40.5 inch vertical — both numbers in the 99th percentile. You couldn’t build a player better fit for Flores.

How much will he play right away? Will he move around or will they try to lock him into one spot to master first? Will we come away from camp thinking the Vikings got their next great edge rusher or a player who’s going to need a lot of development?

Andre Carter II

The consensus on the Vikings signing Carter II as a UDFA last year was that they landed a player who needed a lot of development but has very high upside. The took the first steps toward that in 2023 when he made the team and appeared in 12 games, mostly on special teams. Carter II got into a few games on defense, picking up 68 total snaps and four total QB pressures.

This year’s camp will be enormous for him. The Vikings did not make any moves to add depth to the outside linebacker position, meaning they are relying on Carter II to make progress and be prepared if there are injuries in front of him.

Pat Jones II

Put Jones II in the category of players who were asked to do too much last season. In 2022 when he played 308 snaps, Jones II graded 62.5 by PFF and was a shade above average against the run and as a tackler. In 634 snaps in 2023 he was the lowest graded PFF edge rusher with at least 600 snaps.

Entering the final year of his contract this will be a make or break summer for Jones II. If he can make a case that he should still be in the rotation despite a more crowded room then he could earn an opportunity to play a role. If not, then there will be young players in camp trying to chase down his spot.

On the bubble