The Minnesota Vikings will be looking to improve their defense next week in the draft. Who are seven edge rushers they could select?
The 2023 NFL Draft is just a handful of days away. The Minnesota Vikings hold five picks barring any trades, and have holes on both sides of the ball.
A lot of attention has been given to the Vikings‘ need for a wide receiver to compliment Justin Jefferson, a quarterback to be the heir to Kirk Cousins, and a cornerback to improve and fill out the depth chart. Those are all very realistic options, but one position the team could address early and really at any point in the draft is an edge rusher.
Teams that run the 3-4 defense, or any variation of it, can never have enough quality pass rushers on the roster. The most successful 3-4 teams constantly rotate guys out to keep them fresh, so having at least five quality rushers is extremely important.
The Vikings do have some current edge rushers who could be in their final season with the team. ZaDarius Smith has already said goodbye to the fans, and D.J. Wonnum is entering the final year of his contract. So while the need isn’t super apparent, it is a position that will have some holes in the near future.
With all that being said, here are seven edge rushers the Vikings could draft in the 2023 NFL Draft.