Minnesota Vikings defense will dominate in 2016
By Ryan Palmer
The MInnesota Vikings’ defense is loaded with talent and ready to dominate in 2016.
It’s hard not to stop drooling over the talent the Minnesota Vikings have amassed on defense under GM Rick Spielman. Adding coach Zimmer was like throwing fuel on a fire, a defensive guru whom the players love. At every level this unit is built to be great again in 2016.
Defensive Line- Basically you want players that can stop the run and get after the opposing QB, check and check. Linval Joseph was named an unstoppable force by Pro Football Focus. Citing incredible power he can both play the run and the pass well. Everson Griffen made his first Pro Bowl last year and youngster Danielle Hunter is looking to build off a fantastic rookie campaign. If Shariff Floyd can avoid the injury bug and Brian Robison has a little left in the tank, this group will hope to once again set the anchor to open up coach Zim’s tenacious blitzing scheme.
Linebackers- It may be a little worrisome that Anthony Barr is sitting out of OTAs but we will assume the best and hope he’ll be ready at the start of training camp. Listed as a future star in many articles, Vikings fans who’ve paid attention know he’s already arrived. Eric Kendricks can fly around the field and possesses rare coverage skills at his position. The feel good story of the summer was Chad Greenway signing on for what will most likely be his final year. We’ll see if free agent Emmanuel Lamur will give Greenway a challenge for playing time at the weak side position. Its a nice mix of young talent and mature wily veterans.
Cornerbacks- It was a tale of two seasons for Xavier Rhodes. Having struggled early in the year Rhodes was able to turn it around in the latter half, including the postseason, ranking among the leagues best after week 10. The dark horse of this position group is Trae Waynes. He didn’t get a ton of snaps but seemed to emerge a little bit in the playoffs, including an interception against the Seahawks. I suspect he may take over for Newman sooner rather than later. Captain Munnerlyn is strong in the slot. We will see if rookie Mackensie Alexander can challenge the Captain in his contract year.
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Safety- It’s one of the toughest position groups going in the league at the moment. We are blessed to have the best. Harrison Smith is the premier all around safety in the NFL. He may not be the top run stopper or possess pure coverage skills, but as a whole he performs better than anyone. If coach Zimmer can find him a quality running mate the Vikings will be in great shape for years to come.
With so many intangibles it’s impossible to predict the future of any team but gauging the defense last year is a great place to start. With a solid draft and returning stars the Minnesota Vikings’ defenders are poised to reign over opponents for years to come.