PFF ranks Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen #51 in 2017

Everson Griffen continues to prove himself as one of the premier players in the NFL and the Minnesota Vikings defensive end was ranked #51 by PFF in 2017.

Establishing a pass rush is one of the most important parts of building a strong defense. Combining that with the ability to contain the edge against the run can help to push a team like the Minnesota Vikings to be their very best.

Defensive end Everson Griffen was a big piece of the puzzle for the Vikings defense. His presence on the line accounted for 55 pressures from the right side during the regular season according to Pro Football Focus, which is the sixth most of any other edge player on that side.

In fact, PFF recently released their list of the top 101 players during the 2017 NFL season where Griffen came in at #51. Here is what they had to say about him:

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"“He notched 61 total pressures over the regular season, adding another five in the playoffs across two games. This was the best pass-rushing season of his NFL career, while his run-defense remained above average.”"

Through the first 8 weeks of the NFL season, Griffen had an impressive streak going where he had at least one sack in every game played. He finished the year with 13 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 45 combined tackles according to ESPN stats.

Much like the rest of Minnesota’s defense, the NFC Championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles brought his grade down a bit. However, before that game, the defense had something really special going.

"“The ending was ugly for the Minnesota Vikings defense, but before the NFC Championship game, this was the league’s No. 1 defense and their best edge rusher was Everson Griffen.”"

Next: Harrison Smith ranked #3 player in 2017 by PFF

Congratulations to Everson Griffen on being included in the top 101 players of 2017 list from Pro Football Focus. Thankfully, the Minnesota Vikings have the stellar defensive end under contract through the 2022 NFL season.