Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Greenard has once again been dominating through training camp as he looks to be right in midseason form. His defensive coordinator, Brian Flores, would agree with that assessment.
Flores spoke with the media after practice as he was asked about Greenard. The former Miami Dolphins head coach praised Greenard as an unselfish player who is still working on every aspect of his stellar game.
"He's a very smart player. You want to talk protections, he's good. You want to talk run game, he's good. You want to talk some pass coverage, he can do that too. I think there's a few different spots in those areas that he can make some improvements. Not just for himself, but to help the team. We've had those conversations. He's rushing great right now and I think that's the thing that everyone goes to immediately, but he's certainly gotten better in a lot of other areas along with the pass rush."
"He's a very smart player" - Brian Flores on @jongreenard7 pic.twitter.com/aIsr9YnCXX
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 2, 2025
Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Greenard is still rocking in the prime of his career
Greenard has been on quite a tear over the last two years, racking up 12.5 sacks in 2023 with the Houston Texans and 12 sacks the previous year in Minnesota. 2024 was finally the year when the NFL started to take notice with a Pro Bowl selection and finished 11th in the Defensive Player of the Year award voting.
Currently in the second year of his four-year, $76 million contract, Greenard signed with the Vikings last offseason. Besides the 12 sacks, Greenard also racked up 59 tackles, 22 quarterback hits, 18 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, and three pass deflections in 17 games.
Between Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel, the Vikings have one of the best edge rushing duos in the NFL. Greenard is special in his versatility, able to drop back into coverage, stop the run, and pressure the quarterback.
With a defense that struggled to slow down the passing game in 2024, it was the pass rushers who helped Minnesota throughout the season. Greenard is showing no signs of slowing down at age 28, as he continues to improve with age.
The offseason additions of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave contribute a new element to the interior defensive line, as both guys can also stop the run and rush the passes. This will only create more opportunities for Greenard and Van Ginkel to get to the quarterback.
Greenard is only going to continue his improvement as an overall defender, which might put him higher in that conversation as the best defensive player in the NFL.