The Minnesota Vikings are facing some big decisions in the offseason about who to retain in free agency and which departing players can be replaced in the draft.
Minnesota's two big-name players who are hitting free agency are wide receiver Jalen Nailor and linebacker Eric Wilson. The most debated player is Wilson, given everything he can do on defense and special teams, but will he be worth the price to keep after his stellar season?
PFF's Bradley Locker recently went through all 32 NFL teams and identified which free agent each team should go after. For the Vikings, Locker thinks they should go for Atlanta Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss.
"Although there may not be a tremendous amount of roster turnover, the Vikings face a crucial offseason.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will hope to yield hits after largely missing on some big swings with 2025 free agents, and he could turn his attention to the team’s linebacking corps.
Elliss was a quiet standout for Atlanta for the last three years with a 75.5 overall PFF grade and 140 total stops. The defensive chess piece is particularly effective at rushing the passer, with his 84.8 PFF pass-rushing grade the third-best among qualifying linebackers since 2022.
Elliss’ ability to get after the quarterback but also remain effective elsewhere could have high appeal to Brian Flores, especially with Eric Wilson no longer under contract."
Atlanta Falcons LB Kaden Elliss could easily replace Eric Wilson for the Minnesota Vikings
Elliss has been a steady performer in the NFL, reliable for the Falcons over the last three years after his four-year stint with the New Orleans Saints. Every year he was in Atlanta, Elliss racked up at least 100 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
Just last year, Elliss had 107 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits, six pass deflections, 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception in 17 tackles. While he has never been selected to the Pro Bowl, Elliss has consistently proven himself worthy of starting.
The last contract Elliss signed with the Atlanta Falcons was a three-year, $21 million contract back in 2023, so he could either be looking for similar money or slightly more.
At 30, he is starting to get up there in age, so it would be hard to justify paying him more than $8 million per year. But putting him in a Brian Flores defense where he can flourish might be enough to convince him to go for it.
Wilson is a great talent and does his job well, but Elliss can do the same thing and is one year younger, so it might be worth it for the Vikings to give Elliss a contract and let Wilson walk in free agency.