Minnesota Vikings training camp battles: Replacing Chad Greenway
By Josh Clarke
Candidate 3: Ben Gedeon
If you have seen Ben Gedeon’s stunning Twitter cover picture you could argue he should be already be named as Chad Greenway’s replacement. In case you have forgotten Gedeon’s draft pick (4th round, 120 overall) was also announced by none other than the Mountain, who when he is not busy protecting the reigning Queen of Westeros, would be quite the run stopper.
He may have won social media already but Gedeon faces a much tougher battle to win a starting spot with the Minnesota Vikings. The first hurdle he will need to overcome is the rookie wall. With only 1 rookie playing over 70 defensive snaps last season, per Football Outsiders, Mike Zimmer’s standards are clearly higher than most. Luckily for this years class, Matthew Coller at ESPN reports that Zimmer is open to change.
As per Vikings.com Gedeon is impressing so far and if he can conquer the mental aspects of Zimmer’s scheme he may just steal the starting gig.
"“He’s kind of an old-school linebacker tough-guy, but he’s got very good instincts. We’re playing him in a couple of different spots just to get him acclimated. He’s smart, and if you tell him one time he usually gets it pretty good.” Minnesota Vikings The Viking Age 0d - 6 biggest draft steals in Minnesota Vikings history More headlines around FanSided: 1d - Former Vikings first-round pick could reportedly return to NFC North 1d - Bears analyst has extremely embarrassing Kirk Cousins take 1d - 6 Vikings who (maybe) won't make the 53-man roster in 2023 2d - Which teams could be drafting a quarterback next year? 2d - Predicting what the Vikings will do in the 2023 NFL Draft based on 2022 More News at The Viking Age"
Hailing from Michigan, his transition into the NFL will undoubtedly be eased after playing in a pro-style defense under Jim Harbaugh for the last 2 seasons. If can catch up mentally, physically Gedeon already holds a the edge over Brothers. The pair of young linebackers are matched in terms of speed and agility but Gedeon holds the advantage in terms of arm length, strength and both the broad and vertical jump.
Like Brothers, pass coverage isn’t Ben’s strong suit but as demonstrated by his 15 tackles for a loss last year for the Wolverines he excels in the run game. Bleacher Report’s pre draft profile summarizes Gedeon’s strengths nicely.
"“Gedeon has an NFL frame and would fill the role of a thumper with how powerful he is at the point of attack. He plays with natural leverage when taking on blockers and can shed and still get to the ball. With ideal length and excellent strength, pencil Gedeon in as a inside linebacker. He’s a quick processor in the run game despite just one year starting, and he has the burst to fill gaps and stick ball-carriers between the tackles.”"
The injury suffered by Brothers could just be the opening Gedeon needs to claim his place as Greenway’s replacement and live up to his social media pedigree.