4 defensive sleepers for the Vikings to watch at the 2020 NFL Combine

Trevis Gipson – DE (Tulsa)

If the Vikings don’t end up re-signing Everson Griffen this offseason, Trevis Gipson would be a perfect replacement.

Gipson mirrors Griffen on film and he projects to have a similar developmental path. Adding him to the defensive line would make for a bright future in Minnesota.

No, I am not saying he is Griffen right now. However, his traits and arsenal are very similar. Gipson, listed at 6-foot-4 and 268 pounds, has stupid length on the edge. His arms serve as vines and they help him generate power into the tackle’s chest.

Gipson uses his power rush to set up a deadly spin on the outside. Sound familiar? Griffen has made the spin rush one of the deadliest moves in his arsenal.

Gipson’s length also gives him the ability to strip quarterbacks while wrapping up. He brings a blistering closing speed off the edge and he can be a passer’s worst nightmare when he gets free.

In 2019, he had eight sacks and 15 tackles for loss. He finished his collegiate career with eight forced fumbles and three pass deflections.

There are some concerns with Gipson right now. He does not have a deep set of pass-rush moves quite yet. He needs to show he can mix up his moves consistently at the next level. He also struggled to win on inside leverage at Tulsa.

While his speed and burst were great on the edge, he was absent in the run game far too often. He also struggled to beat double teams when they were put on him.

Despite the concerns, Gipson still has a ton of potential as an edge rusher in the NFL. His traits will make some defense very happy.