Brian Asamoah – ILB
In the modern version of the NFL, the best offenses are full of speed, and it’s proven to be a big advantage for these teams.
Speed is not exactly something Minnesota’s starting inside linebackers, Jordan Hicks and Eric Kendricks, are known for at this point in their careers, and it’s been obvious out on the field this season.
Hicks, specifically, has been on the field for 237 defensive snaps this year, and his overall defensive grade from PFF ranks 19th out of 21 players through the first four games.
He’s struggled mightily in pass coverage, allowing his man to gain 148 yards after the catch this season, which is easily the most allowed by a Minnesota defender this year. A big reason for Hicks’ struggles in pass coverage, especially when giving up yards after the catch, has do with him just lacking enough speed to keep up.
Now, the Vikings have a rookie inside linebacker by the name of Brian Asamoah who has the seventh-fastest 40-yard dash time (4.56 seconds) among all linebackers that participated in the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine earlier this year. Through Minnesota’s first four games, however, Asamoah hasn’t been on the field for a single defensive snap.
With Hicks not really doing well in pass coverage this season, the Vikings might want to consider mixing Asamoah in with their defense moving forward to see if he can perform better while in coverage. He can’t really do much worse than Hicks in pass coverage, can he?