4 most underhyped Vikings heading into the 2021 season

Jalyn Holmes, defensive end

Defensive end is a crowded group this year. All of the attention at the moment is with Danielle Hunter following his contract restructure but there is an army of defenders behind him fighting for the other starting job.

Everyone seems to be projecting someone else to start on the defensive line. Stephen Weatherly, D.J. Wonnum, Patrick Jones II, and others are all up for the job. But one name that isn’t usually included among that group is Jalyn Holmes.

When Hunter was out and Yannick Ngakoue was traded away, Holmes stepped in to start nine games for the Minnesota Vikings where he registered 36 combined tackles and four quarterback hits.

Holmes had recently made the move from defensive tackle to the end and could keep taking steps toward being a more effective pass rusher going forward. If nothing, he should be considered a valuable backup or rotational player instead of an afterthought.