Back in 2015, the Vikings opted to bring in Danielle Hunter in the 3rd.
The Vikings’ edge rusher quickly became a true star, distinguishing himself as being among the foremost defenders in the league, so Minnesota deserves ample praise for the draft choice. Even more encouraging is that Hunter hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down even though he’ll soon see his 30th birthday.
How have they done since snagging Hunter? Well, as Dustin Baker has pointed out on Vikings Territory, the track record isn’t great.
True, some of the late-round guys worked out quite well given the draft slot — Stephen Weatherly, Ifeadi Odenigbo — but the draft hasn’t been a major pipeline for edge rushing talent in recent years. Instead, the team has taken many swings in the mid-to-late rounds that have mostly waffled between snagging depth contributors and non factors.
Unpacking the Vikings’ Edge Rusher Crisis
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has been part of a pair of drafts as the Vikings’ GM but has yet to draft an edge rusher.
In the NFL, quarterback is the unquestioned most important position. What’s next in line? Edge rusher would be among the cluster — corner, receiver, tackle — for the game’s critical positions. In other words, Adofo-Mensah’s decision to avoid onboarding someone at this spot is odd (and even a bit concerning). Almost by necessity, Minnesota must prioritize the position in the upcoming draft.
Consider, though, what the Vikings have done at the position since hitting a grand slam with the Hunter pick back in 2015:
| Year | RD1 | RD2 | RD3 | RD4 | RD5 | RD6 | RD7 |
| 2015 | Hunter, Danielle (88) | Dubose, B.J. (193) | |||||
| 2016 | Weatherly, Stephen (227) | ||||||
| 2017 | Odenigbo, Ifeadi (220) | ||||||
| 2018 | Holmes, Jalyn (102) | Aruna, Ade (218) | |||||
| 2019 | |||||||
| 2020 | Wonnum, D.J. (117) | Willekes, Kenny (225) | |||||
| 2021 | Jones II, Patrick (90) | Robinson, Janarius (134) | |||||
| 2021 | |||||||
| 2022 |
Again, some of these picks ended up going quite well. Weatherly and Odenigbo were taken very late, so the simple fact that each was able to get into games and play reasonably well is a credit to Rick Spielman, the scouts, and the coaching staff (especially Mike Zimmer and Andre Patterson).
Even still, the cupboard is pretty bare right now and at least part of the reason why is because of what’s happened since drafting Mr. Hunter.
D.J. Wonnum isn’t a perfect player — who is? — but getting him in the 4th is pretty solid work. The long & strong pass rusher is capable of getting home for a sack, which is always going to be in demand in the pass-happy NFL. Ideally, Wonnum can be an EDGE3 or EDGE4, but the cost of acquisition — 117th overall — was more than worth it.
Otherwise, things don’t look too promising. Patrick Jones is still around but he’s among the team’s cut candidates. The 25-year-old is coming off a career-high 635 defensive snaps but only a single sack.
Now, if you scroll back up to the chart, what do you notice? For starters, there haven’t been any 1st- or 2nd-round selections sunk into the position, a worrisome reality upon considering the spot’s importance. And then there is the issue of Adofo-Mensah not putting any of his sixteen selections into the position, as we discussed a couple minutes ago.
What do these trends suggest for what’s to come?
Before the 2024 NFL Draft arrives, there will be free agency. The Vikings’ GM has certainly shown a willingness to jump into free agency to bring in edge rushers, doing so in the deals for Za’Darius Smith and Marcus Davenport. Seeing him completely overlook some of this year’s talented options — Josh Allen, Brian Burns, Josh Uche, Bryce Huff, etc. — would be surprising considering the major need.
But then there’s what’s going to come in the draft. Quarterback remains a huge question mark and, quite possibly, the greatest area of need in the draft. And then there’s the lack of depth along the offensive line, the need for a true top corner, the underwhelming running game, and the depleted defensive tackle depth. Needs aplenty.
Can edge rusher leapfrog all of the listed needs and get filled at No. 11, No. 42, and/or somewhere else relatively high in the draft?
Truth be told, the answer is unclear as of mid-February. So much still needs to be decided, such as whether Hunter can be retained on a fresh deal. Rest assured, though, that Minnesota’s need for edge rusher talent isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, so the main decision makers in Eagan will need to consider all options — the trade market, free agency, draft prospects, UDFA options — to get Brian Flores’ defense the weapons it needs.
Minnesota currently owns nine draft picks and has a bit below $25 million in cap space.
