4 Vikings whose jobs are in jeopardy after 2020 NFL Draft
By Adam Patrick
Shamar Stephen – DT
With the departure of Linval Joseph earlier this offseason, most would assume that Shamar Stephen is a lock to make the Vikings’ 2020 roster. However, it’s not as much of a guarantee as some might believe.
Minnesota used one of their fourth-round picks in this year’s NFL Draft to add former Baylor defensive tackle, James Lynch. The rookie joins a crowded Vikings defensive tackle group that now consists of eight guys.
Stephen was brought back by Minnesota last season to help improve the team’s ability to stop the run. But the Vikings’ run defense actually ended up trending in the wrong direction last year compared to how it was in 2018.
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Minnesota has a number of talented, young defensive tackles like Lynch, Armon Watts, Jalyn Holmes, and Hercules Mata’afa who will be itching to take Stephen’s spot in the starting lineup this summer. With releasing Stephen this year also freeing up more than $2.5 million in cap space, the Vikings could decide to end his second tenure with the team earlier than they had originally planned.