The 2022 Cleveland Browns ranked 28th in Football Outsiders’ Defensive Adjusted Line Yards metric. They ranked 29th in running back yards allowed per carry (5.00), and they were near the bottom of the league in most situations that would indicate serious problems with one’s interior defensive line. So, they went out and got former Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson on a four-year, $57 million deal with $27.5 million guaranteed.
The Vikings’ defense was a much bigger disaster in most areas last season, ranking 27th overall in DVOA, 26th against the pass, and 19th against the run, but the list of people to blame for that (starting with former defensive coordinator Ed Donatell) should not include Tomlinson, who had his most productive season as a pass-rusher and run-stopper in 2022. Most human beings his size (6-foot-3 and a conservative 325 pounds) move to and through the pocket the way he does.
In 2022, Tomlinson was good for three sacks, seven quarterback hits, and 20 quarterback hurries in 348 pass-rushing snaps, and he had 26 stops in 256 run defense reps. He’s never had more than 658 snaps in a season though six years with the Vikings and Giants, so there is a rotational aspect to his game, but when Tomlinson is on the field for your defense, your defense is simply better.
This sack of Aaron Rodgers in Week 17 was just bad news for Packers right guard Jon Runyan Jr. for a couple of reasons: First, the Vikings were in a bear front with the defensive tackles to the outside shoulders of the guard, which forces one-on-ones. Second, Runyan had to deal with Tomlinson’s evil combination of stack-and-shed power, and quickness around the blocker when he’s beaten.
And if you’re trying a slide game to get your running back going against Tomlinson, you need to watch for his ability to penetrate on the move. Saquon Barkley of the Giants discovered that in the wild-card round on this three-yard loss.
This contract is a shade rich if Tomlinson continues to be a rotational guy, but there’s no denying his excellence when he’s on the field.