With the ability to spend more freely in 2024 free agency, as they got off the Kirk Cousins contract carousel, the Minnesota Vikings doubled-up at edge rusher by signing Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel.
Those moves worked out very well, as Greenard (12 sacks) and Van Ginkel (11.5 sacks) both earned the first Pro Bowl nods of their careers last season. Ideally they won't have to play the heavy share of snaps they did last year, but second-year man Dallas Turner is primed to take on a larger role this year. With that, the possibilities for how Van Ginkel in particular could be used as an off-ball linebacker in Brian Flores' defensive scheme are intriguing.
As if often said with cornerbacks, it's easy to say you can never have enough capable pass rushers in the NFL. So could the Vikings be in the market to add another edge rusher between now and Week 1? There are some viable options out there.
A proposed final offseason move for the Minnesota Vikings really doesn't make sense for the team in 2025
Aaron Schatz of ESPN has proposed one final offseason move for each NFL team. Another position is certainly on the minds of Vikings' fans, but Schatz went another direction to suggest they sign veteran edge rusher Matthew Judon.
"The Vikings are set with their starting edge rushers, Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. They have 2024 first-round pick Dallas Turner waiting in the wings. And then after that, well ... who is Bo Richter? Answer: He's a second-year undrafted free agent who played 29 defensive snaps last season and is probably currently the No. 4 Edge on the Minnesota depth chart."
"The Vikings could really use a veteran to provide depth and rotate in every so often. Judon had a disappointing 2024 season with just 5.5 sacks for the Falcons, and he seems to be on the decline (he turns 33 in August). Still, he can get after the passer, and some reps as a backup might really rejuvenate his career."
Judon has a solid resume as a pass rusher, with 72 sacks over nine NFL seasons. He set a career high with 15.5 sacks in 2022 with the New England Patriots. A torn bicep shortened his 2023 campaign, but he had for sacks in four games. He signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 2024, but he had just 5.5 sacks in 17 games last season amid the idea he wasn't a great fit for their defensive scheme.
If the Vikings signed Judon, he would likely take some opportunities away from Turner. That feels like a no-go based on what head coach Kevin O'Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have said.
Schatz mentioned 2024 undrafted rookie Bo Richter as the Vikings' No. 4 edge rusher. Fellow 2024 UDFA Gabriel Murphy is easy to forget about after playing just two games last season, but he had a promising showing in last year's training camp before an injury derailed things. 2025 UDFA Tyler Batty is also in the mix to earn a spot in the edge rusher mix during training camp and preseason games.
If the Vikings aren't thrilled with the training camp competition for spots down the edge rusher depth chart, things could change. But signing Judon doesn't make much sense right now, before training camp, and it lands as very unlikely at any point in time.