The 2023 season is inching closer and closer by the day and we here at Vikings Wire are previewing the season from every angle. Today, we continue profiling the Minnesota Vikings roster on the defensive side of the football.
We are currently writing player profiles on each Viking on the roster with projections for what their 2023 season could look like. How things look projecting forward is where the real intrigue lies.
Leading up to training camp, we will be looking at each position from a more in-depth perspective. Today, we will be looking at the edge rushers.
The room
- Danielle Hunter
- Marcus Davenport
- D.J. Wonnum
- Patrick Jones II
- Andre Carter II
- Luiji Vilain
- Curtis Weaver
- Benton Whitley
Performance in 2022
The two starters had excellent production in 2023. Smith and Hunter had 10.0 and 10.5 sacks respectively. They were also both top-15 in pressures and disrupted the quarterback consistently. Some didn’t think they were good enough during the season, but the scheme made the entire roster to look bad.
Wonnum and Jones were solid contributors as the third and fourth pass rusher of the group. They each had four sacks this past season and played well when called upon. At this point, they are replacement-level players, which is fine when you have really talented guys in front of them.
Vilain wasn’t asked to play often for the 2022 Vikings, with the team essentially using it as a redshirt year. He played in three games and looks to be in a similar position in 2023.
Expectations in 2023
Expectations are high for this group. Despite losing Smith, Davenport is primed to step in and play a similar role. He has the size and athletic ability to be a game-wrecker positioned all over the line of scrimmage. You can put him standing up in the A gap, put his hand in the dirt or line up wide.
Hunter is a tricky one to project forward. He is still at worst a borderline elite pass rusher at the age of 28, but his contract could complicate things. He is only due $5.5 million in new money on the contract he signed in 2018, which wasn’t a player friendly contract. He held out from mandatory minicamp this June and its within the realm of possibility that he could do the same for training camp. Once he does play, his impact will be felt on the field.
Wonnum is a curious case. He is capable as a rotational pass rusher, but isn’t great by any means. He is due nearly $3 million this year and could be cut with a $2.74 million savings. With the intrigue the Vikings have after Wonnum, is that a move they would consider making?
Jones came into the NFL a talented, but under developed player. He had the ability to use multiple pass rush moves, but none of them had any polish. Playing for Flores could help unlock him in the NFL, as he understands how to get players in advantageous situations.
Carter is the biggest wild card of the group. The Vikings gave him a record for a normal UDFA (La’El Collins has the record, but he’s the exception, not the rule) and he has a lot to work with. At nearly 6’7″ and 265 lbs, he bends like a smaller edge rusher, but he doesn’t have the play strength necessary. Playing at Army had him both training at football and also training to be a cadet. Those workouts counteract each other and stunted his growth.
After the top five, it’s a mixed bag. Vilain is talented enough, but will the addition of Carter keep him off of the team? Weaver and Whitley are practice squad candidates.
What does the future of the room look like?
This is murky at best. Hunter, Davenport and Wonnum all have their contracts expiring after the season. Both Hunter and Davenport have dead money hit the books next year and are prime extension candidates. Jones will be on the last year of his contract next season with potentially Carter and Vilain as the only other options. This room could stay in tact next year or be completely revamped. It’s going to be fascinating to see how Kwesi Adofo-Mensah handles things.
Previous state of the roster articles
Quarterback
Running back
Wide receiver
Tight end
Offensive tackle
Interior offensive line
Defensive line
