5 candidates to be the Vikings third starting linebacker in 2021
By Adam Carlson
Nick Vigil
The Minnesota Vikings seemingly wanted to add some experience in their linebacker competition this year and decided to use $1.75M to bring in former Bengals and Chargers linebacker Nick Vigil on a one-year deal.
At 27 years old, Vigil already has five years of NFL experience and has started 39 games while playing 69 total games. That alone could make him a favorite to emerge from this competition with the starting job.
Vigil’s best season came in 2019 with the Bengals where he racked up 111 total tackles to go with five pass defenses, two fumble recoveries, four quarterback hits, and a sack. If he can be this kind of player for Minnesota, he will fit in well when the team is in their base formation.
The ceiling seems to be fairly low on Nick Vigil, but he can be a great player to hold down the position while the other young linebackers on the roster grow and develop. Of course, if he gets beat out for the starting role, he will be a great contributor as a backup/rotational player and on special teams.