The core part of the offseason approach for the Minnesota Vikings has been to fortify the trenches, with zero punches pulled to get it done on the interior offensive and defensive lines.
In a clear effort to get a better pass rush from their interior defensive line, the Vikings have signed Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. In Brian Flores's defensive scheme, defensive tackles have tended to be block/space eaters for others to allow others to get after the quarterback, but Allen and Hargrave will change that equation and likely expand what Flores can do with his blitz schemes.
Allen and Hargrave are also both coming off injury-shortened 2024 seasons, but there is no real concern about their readiness for Week 1. At 30 and 32 years old respectively, though, managing their snaps so they can be as impactful as possible will be in play. But whatever defensive tackle rotation there will be next season, Allen and Hargrave will be prominent in it.
Minnesota Vikings might be better off keeping Harison Phillips instead of trading him
PFF's Bradley Locker recently shared a list of the best trade assets for each team in the NFL heading into April's draft. The Vikings don't have an incredibly obvious candidate, especially with Garrett Bradbury gone, so it surely took a little digging to unearth defensive tackle Harrison Phillips as the selection for Minnesota
"Minnesota overhauled its trenches as part of commendable work, including on the interior defensive line with Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Neither is coming off a remarkable season, but it means someone like Phillips, now lower in the rotation, could be traded.
Phillips finished with sub-61.0 PFF grades as a pass rusher and a run defender last year, but he’s previously been stout against the run. From 2021 to 2023, his PFF run-defense grade sat in the 91st percentile and his run-stop rate placed in the 88th percentile. Teams could take a shot on the 29-year-old in the hopes of seeing a rebound."
Phillips is coming off a down year in 2024 in terms of his surface stats and PFF numbers. An interior defensive lineman's impact can't always be measured by numbers, but Phillips' snap share also dropped 15 percent last season compared to 2023 as he started all 17 games for the third time in as many seasons as a Viking.
The primary questions around the idea of trading Phillips before the draft (for a draft pick?) are obvious. Teams could call about him, but even that feels like a stretch.
What could the Vikings even get for a 29-year-old run-stuffing defensive tackle? Might it be better to just keep him as a key piece of the interior defensive line rotation? Never say never on these kinds of things, but Phillips only makes some sense as a trade candidate if you fully lean into the idea his role will be greatly diminished by the additions of Allen and Hargrave.