The Minnesota Vikings have multiple areas of need in the 2025 offseason. The offensive line has holes on the interior. The defensive line struggled to get decent penetration from the defensive tackle positions. The secondary has had holes for several years, and while there has been some improvement in 2023 and ’24, the Vikings could still use an upgrade in personnel.
If we wanted to nitpick, they could also help themselves by doing a better job in the return game. Their coverage units are decent, but the Vikings have not had a threatening returner in several years.
However, the belief here is that one key free-agent signing could help most on the interior defensive front. The offensive line is weak at both guard spots and at center. They need more than one free agent such as Will Fries of the Indianapolis Colts to fix this area. However, one game-changing player at defensive tackle could turn defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ solid unit into a devastating one.
The Vikings defense has made excellent strides under Flores. He was hired after the 2022 season when the Vikings ranked 31st in yards allowed. The team showed notable improvement in 2023 as the Vikings improved to 16th in yards allowed and tied for 13th in points allowed.
Flores orchestrated further improvement last season as the Vikings ranked 5th in points allowed, giving up an average of 19.5 per game. The Vikings maintained their position in yards allowed, ranking 16th once again. However, they were in the top 10 for much of the season before growing a bit more generous in the final weeks of the season.
Vikings hope to bring in an interior defensive lineman
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell would like to give Flores a major tool to work with by bringing in an interior defensive lineman who can get after opposing passers.
Milton Williams of the Philadelphia Eagles could be the player that fills the bill for the Vikings. Williams did not have huge numbers from the defensive tackle position during the regular season after recording 24 tackles, 5.0 sacks, 7 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery.
However, Williams played like a star in Philadelphia’s 40-22 Super Bowl triumph over the Chiefs. He had 4 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 2 tackles for loss and 1 fumble recovery.
The 25-year-old Williams should be coming into his prime years in the NFL after gaining 4 years of experience with the Eagles. The 6-3, 290-pound Williams has shown that he can play his best football in the biggest games, and the Vikings need more players like that at all positions — particularly on the defensive line.
Flores would love to have a player like Williams at his disposal. He demonstrated last year that he could bring newcomers into his system and get the most out of them.
That was certainly the case with 3 of the team’s free-agent signees. Those players included linebackers Blake Cashman, Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard. That trio gave Flores’ unit quite a bit of bite.
Cashman led the team with 112 tackles and he also had 4.5 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, 8 passes defensed and 1 fumble recovery.
Van Ginkel demonstrated big-play ability. He had an interception for a touchdown in the season opener against the New York Giants and he added a second pick-6 during the season. Van Ginkel also had 79 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery.
Greenard led the Vikings with 12.0 sacks and 18 tackles for loss. He also had 59 tackles and 4 forced fumbles.
Additional potential DT free agents
Some of the other interior defensive linemen the Vikings should consider include Javon Hargrave of the San Francisco 49ers, Dre’Mont Jones of the Seattle Seahawks, Sheldon Rankins of the Cincinnati Bengals and Javon Kinlaw of the New York Jets.
Hargrave was limited to 3 games last year after suffering a partially torn triceps. However, Hargrave had 11.0 sacks, 60 tackles and 10 tackles for loss in 2022 and he followed that up with 7.0 sacks and 44 tackles in ’23.
Jones had 28 tackles and 4.0 sacks last year. That came on the heels of the ’23 season that saw him contribute 49 tackles and 4.5 sacks to the Seahawks.
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