USA TODAY’s Nate Davis asked a key question about each NFL team, and the one regarding the Vikings had to do with their defense.
Davis asked: Is a defensive revival on track? He wrote:
“Longtime coach Mike Zimmer called last season’s defense the “worst one I’ve ever had.” But he’s getting Pro Bowlers Danielle Hunter and Anthony Barr back along with 2020 COVID-19 opt-out Michael Pierce and free agent additions like DTs Dalvin Tomlinson and Sheldon Richardson plus CBs Patrick Peterson, Bashaud Breeland and Mackensie Alexander and S Xavier Woods. A lot of meshing needs to occur between the newcomers and healthy holdovers, but Zimmer’s traditionally been up to such tasks … assuming there’s no virus outbreaks to deal with.”
Despite a defensive turnaround seeming imminent, it might not be a given that the group improves on the back end.
There has been a standout position group this offseason, though. During training camp, it seems like the Vikings defensive line might be the strongest group on the the team’s roster.
This would be a big upgrade for Minnesota, considering the pass rush ranked 32nd in the NFL last year, per PFF. Let’s see if that leads to a bounce-back year.