5 second-year Vikings who could make a big impact in 2023
By Adam Carlson
Second-year Vikings who could make an impact
Brian Asamoah, linebacker
It will be weird as a Minnesota Vikings fan seeing the defense take the field in 2023 and not have Eric Kendricks holding down the middle of the field. Now that he's in Los Angeles, it could be up to second-year linebacker Brian Asamoah to pick up the slack.
Asamoah should be considered the favorite to start next to Jordan Hicks in the middle of the Vikings defense. He played in 16 games as a rookie, making 17 combined tackles, forcing one fumble, and recovering a fumble.
Even though the played 119 snaps on defense last season, he made some good plays on special teams, where the former Oklahoma standout saw action on 285 snaps, allowing him to get even more experience.
The Minnesota Vikings will be looking for a long-term answer at linebacker and possibly a second inside linebacker after this season. It would be fantastic if Brian Asamoah could step up and grab one of those spots this season.