Earlier this year, the Minnesota Vikings made the difficult decision to move on from longtime edge rusher Danielle Hunter. For the last nine seasons, Hunter had been a staple in the Vikings' defense, and now the team will attempt to generate a pass rush in 2024 without the four-time Pro Bowler.
Despite his departure, however, some believe Minnesota's pass rush might actually be even better next season due to some of the additions the team made during the last few months.
Most recently, the Vikings used a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to select former Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner. His arrival, combined with the free-agent signings of Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel back in March, has some people thinking Minnesota could have one of the top pass-rushing defenses in the league next season.
New Minnesota Vikings pass-rushing duo "could be one of the league's best" in 2024
On Monday, Bleacher Report shared their selections for the biggest strength of every NFL team heading into the summer. To the surprise of some, they did not choose the Vikings' group of pass-catchers as the team's biggest strength.
Instead, Bleacher Report went with Minnesota's pass-rushers as the team's biggest strength, and they wrote the following to explain their decision.
"Turnover at the edge position may make a pass rush that produced 43 sacks last season even better.
To replace Hunter, the Vikings added Jonathan Greenard, an ascending 26-year-old who recorded 12.5 sacks and 32 quarterback pressures in 2023. They also brought in Andrew Van Ginkel (6.0 sacks in 2023), Jihad Ward (5.0 sacks) and Jonah Williams (2.0 sacks) to bolster edge depth.
Defensive lineman Harrison Phillips (3 sacks, 8 QB pressures) will still be a factor in the middle, along with newcomer Jerry Tillery (2 sacks, 9 QB pressures). Do-it-all linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. (2.0 sacks, 10 pressures), is also back following a very impressive rookie campaign.
Minnesota used its second first-round pick on Alabama pass-rusher Dallas Turner, who has the physical upside needed to become a Pro Bowler in coordinator Brian Flores' defense."
In addition, Bleacher Report also proclaimed that Greenard and Turner have the potential to "be one of the league's best edge-rushing duos by the end of the year."
It's certainly an interesting choice, but it's difficult to argue against the reasoning for why Minnesota's pass rushers are currently the team's biggest strength on their roster.
Last season, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores proved that he's not afraid to get aggressive with his scheme. This approach, combined with the exciting new additions Minnesota has made in the last few months, could lead to the team's pass rush causing a ton of headaches for opposing offenses during the 2024 season.