6 free-agent outside linebackers the Vikings could sign in 2022

Jake Martin

2021 Team: Houston Texans

One player that is going relatively under-the-radar that could help the Minnesota Vikings in the short and long term is Jake Martin. The versatile edge defender spent last season with the Houston Texans and would probably welcome another change of scenery based on the current state of the AFC South team.

Martin is a solid if not spectacular professional, emerging from a sixth-round pick to carve out a successful career for himself. He can operate with his hand in the dirt as a defensive end or standing up as a 3-4 outside linebacker, which is exactly what the Vikings are looking for this offseason.

The Temple product secured four sacks, five tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, and 19 pressures from 61 percent of Houston’s defensive snaps last season. Martin would probably be classed as a tier-two guy that might be signed once the premier options have chosen their respective destinations, which is all the Vikings can probably afford unless some landmark changes take place.

That’s not to say Martin couldn’t be an asset. There is even a chance he progresses significantly with a steep increase in talent around him.

The speculation surrounding Minnesota is growing by the day. And it won’t be much longer before we find out which direction they are going to go.