Minnesota Vikings training camp has been going on for several days now, and typically, it's the players on the defensive side of the ball who stand out the most during the first few summer practices.
For another year, the Vikings defense has been the talk of the talk at camp so far as they are getting after it and making the first team offense look silly. Brian Flores is a mastermind at work as the Minnesota defensive coordinator, and he has a lot of weapons to utilize.
One of those weapons, especially in the edge rush department, got quite the praise from Vikings Pro Bowl right tackle Brian O'Neill after camp wrapped up earlier this week.
"He plays angry, which every D-lineman should. He wants it really bad. You can see it in his eyes, you can hear it in the way he talks. You can see it in the way he trained all offseason. This stuff's really important to him. If it was as important to everybody as it is to JG, we're in a good spot."
Jonathan Greenard was a menace last season and got into the opposing backfield a ton. So much so that he's earning praise from one of the top offensive linemen in the NFL.
Minnesota Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah deserves more praise for signing Jonathan Greenard
Greenard left the Houston Texans following the 2023 season after being there for four years out of the University of Florida, and he signed a four-year, $72 million deal with the Vikings in free agency last offseason.
Adding Greenard could not have been more of a steal by Minnesota general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. In his first season with the Vikings, Greenard tallied 59 tackles, 12 sacks, four forced fumbles, and three pass deflections.
Add in getting praise at the start of this year's training camp from O'Neill, it shows that Greenard is already a respected leader of the team.
Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner, among others, are ready to get after it again come September, and the former Florida Gator will not be slowing down.
No matter what kind of double team, extra protection, or whatever offensive line combos opposing teams try to throw at Greenard, it will not stop him from getting to the quarterback.
He is somebody that the Vikings really needed on their defense, and Flores knows exactly how to use him. Greenard can be used to rush the quarterback, stop the run, and beat a double team with a stunt.
Whatever is thrown at Greenard, he will beat it, and Minnesota is insanely lucky to have him.