7 free-agent defensive ends the Vikings could sign in 2022
By Nik Edlund
Bilal Nichols
2021 Team: Chicago Bears
A second Chicago Bear enters the potential future defensive end arena for the Vikings, and this time, it’s Bilal Nichols. Nichols has bounced around the defensive line a little bit, having played end, nose tackle, and defensive tackle. If the Vikings signed him, they could definitely try him out at end.
Nichols hasn’t been the Viking killer that Akiem Hicks has been in his career, but he’s a name Vikings fans are definitely familiar with. Just a season ago, he had 10 tackles and half a sack against the Purple and in 2020 had 11 tackles and a sack in two games.
Nichols is sneaky quick but ultimately wins with his pure brute strength. He’s tough to block one-on-one and he will win that matchup about 90 percent of the time.
He made the interior of the Vikings line look especially silly when he lined up inside and gave the tackles fits when he was at end. The best part about Nichols is that he’s only 25-years-old and has his best football still in front of him.
His young age and potential could drive his price up, but if the Vikings are able to land this guy, they’ll have a versatile weapon for their new defense that can be utilized to exploit weaknesses on opponents’ offensive lines.