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Minnesota defensive tackle corps is about to look a lot different in 2021.
The Vikings saw Shamar Stephen and Jaleel Johnson leave in free agency, both of whom were starters in 2020.
The Vikings are likely replacing them with two players who have yet to play a single game for the team: Michael Pierce and Dalvin Tomlinson.
PFF’s Ben Linsey ranked Tomlinson as the 17th best interior defensive lineman in the league. Pierce came in at No. 26. Here’s what he said:
“Michael Pierce’s absence last season highlighted that Minnesota had a clear need on the interior, and they addressed it by signing Tomlinson in free agency. Tomlinson isn’t quite the penetrating 3-technique that made sense for the Vikings on paper next to Pierce, but he is a very good football player. He ranks in the 83rd percentile in PFF run-defense grade since 2017 and showed some ability to get after the quarterback as a pass-rusher from nose tackle alignments in 2020.”
Pierce is a run-stopping nose tackle. Tomlinson will presumably play the three-technique, but also has run-stopping capabilities. Tomlinson is also coming off a good year for providing pressure, despite that being not what he’s known for.
If Tomlinson and Pierce stay healthy and the Vikings find a decent defensive end to pair with Danielle Hunter, Minnesota could have a great defensive line, as well as two interior linemen who might be higher up next year’s version of this list.