Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com believes that the Minnesota Vikings have one of the top 5 defensive front 7 personnel groups in the NFL for the 2017 season.
The Minnesota Vikings have always been a team that valued having a strong pass rush. Year in and year out, the team makes sure to have quality defensive ends while acquiring talent around them and establishing a linebacker grouping to compliment them.
For the 2017 season, there are some great pass rushers on the roster. Whether talking about veterans with years of experience, free agent acquisitions, or young players still on their rookie contracts, Minnesota has established themselves as a wrecking crew up front.
Recently, Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com wrote an article discussing the top front 7 groups on defense in the NFL, and to nobody’s surprise it featured the Minnesota Vikings near the top in the #4 position.
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The 7 players he mentioned as being the ‘key cogs’ to the team are the expected names with the interesting addition of a recent free agent signing. Here are the players he deems to be essential on the Vikings defensive front:
While Vikings fans are very familiar with those names, not every NFL fans knows of them. However, Rosenthal believes this group is well equipped to handle just about anything an offense will throw at them.
"“The Vikings don’t have the marquee names in lights like most of the teams on this list. They do have a balanced and versatile group with few weaknesses. The young linebacker duo of Barr and Kendricks can excel on any down, covering receivers, stopping the run or rushing the passer. (Barr can play better than he did a year ago.)”"
Rosenthal continued to praise the players in the Vikings defensive front, adding that Hunter is a future star and Minnesota look smart locking down Joseph and Griffen to big deals in the past.
"“Hunter, like his two young linebacker teammates, has the potential to break out if he hasn’t already. Joseph and Griffen were both given eye-opening, monster contracts by Minnesota, which now seem like forward-looking bargains.”"
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Do you think Gregg Rosenthal ranked the Minnesota Vikings in the proper spot in his article? Who do you feel are the strongest parts of the defensive front 7 and who are the weak links? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.