Brian Asamoah made a college career of playing bigger than his body, and he’ll try to continue to do the same as the linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings.
The former Oklahoma Sooner was taken off the board with the No. 66 overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft on Friday night. He’s expected to serve as a boost on the defensive side of the ball for a unit that has clearly struggled in Minnesota.
Size obviously isn’t one of Asamoah’s strengths. The fact that he is undersized is the reason why he fell down the board in the first place. Teams are worried he lacks the power to consistently shed blockers at the next level and get to the ball-carrier.
But he plays with a fire and ferocity that’s often underappreciated, even for a player who’s considered undersized at the linebacker position. He led Oklahoma in tackles last season (80), along with snagging Second-Team All-Big 12 honors.
The ability to be an every-down player is clearly there, but he will especially excel in coverage, where he’s shown a nice burst in speed to hold up against the pass.
With Eric Kendricks and Jordan Hicks already on the roster, the Vikings shouldn’t feel the need to rush Asamoah’s development. That isn’t to suggest he won’t find a way to get on the field in 2022. He’ll compete well enough to get involved in some defensive packages, and he’s also capable of contributing on special teams.
But everything else will come with time.
This is the type of player that’s needed in a division with versatile tailbacks that can run and catch the ball, like Green Bay’s Aaron Jones and Chicago’s David Montgomery.
An every-down player with a heart the size of Oklahoma—Asamoah is another plug-and-play rookie that can help the Vikings now and in the future.
