4 Vikings we can safely call busts after the 2022 season

Troy Dye – LB

Troy Dye was another fourth-round pick from the 2020 NFL Draft. He was an ultra-athletic linebacking prospect who had the speed and size to close in on ball carriers and stick stride for stride with tight ends and backs in pass coverage. He’s been through three full seasons in the NFL, and what he has become is nothing more than a special teamer.

Dye’s stat line is pretty sparse. He has just 63 career tackles, one fumble recovery, and a couple of pass breakups. He’s started only six games for the Vikings, as he’s primarily been a special teamer. The biggest reason for this is probably just Dye’s build.

He’s an extremely thin-built linebacker who actually looks more like a punter when he’s on the field. Dye still has good speed but Vikings fans only get to see that when he’s flying down the field as a gunner on a punt.

The potential and hope for Dye when he was drafted was to eventually develop into a starting linebacker for Minnesota. Instead, they’ve had to go out and sign veterans like Nick Vigil and Jordan Hicks to be a one-season stopgap.

At this point, it’s safe to say that Dye will never be a starting linebacker for the Vikings, the only question is how long will he stick around as a core special teamer?