Welcome to The Show, Patrick Jones II
The Minnesota Vikings cut ties with veteran pass rush Stephen Weatherly on Saturday, sending the 27-year-old to the Denver Broncos with a 2023 7th-Round draft pick in exchange for a 2022 7th-Rounder. The move was a salary dump intended to give Weatherly a fresh start with a team, the Broncos, peppered with ties to the Vikings.
It is unclear if the Vikings plan to add a player via trade with Weatherly’s exodus or if they’ll activate a familiar name like Harrison Hand. Betting money suggests the latter.
The fun-loving Weatherly was buried on Minnesota’s depth chart in a season he experienced action on just 20% of defensive snaps, which led to nine tackles and no sacks through six games. When the Vikings re-signed him last spring, there was a reasonable chance Weatherly would start opposite Danielle Hunter. But Everson Griffen and D.J. Wonnum had other plans.
So, that’s a wrap on Weatherly’s two-stint career with the Vikings. Yet, it’s the beginning of one for a different Viking — Patrick Jones II.
Jones was selected in the 3rd Round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the direct trade compensation for Yannick Ngakoue to the Baltimore Ravens one year ago. If you ever want to fully adjudicate if the Ngkaoue experiment was silly, wait to see the full career of Jones. That’s the determining factor for the Ngakoue trade from Jacksonville and to Baltimore — for the Vikings, at least.
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The Vikings have not let Jones on the field in any capacity in 2021. Griffen, Wonnum, and Weatherly have hogged all of his rookie snaps.
That will change. Like — soon.
Unless Minnesota does something weird like elevate Kenny Willekes from the practice squad, Jones will be the guy to receive a handful of pass-rushing snaps sans Weatherly on the team. Jones won’t steal any of Griffen’s workload — Griffen has earned it in 2021 — but Weatherly’s departure is an open invitation to Jones for a “welcome to the NFL” introduction.
Jones was the 90th overall pick last April, four spots after Minnesota selected guard Wyatt Davis (who probably wants playing time, too). Joe Marino from The Draft Network described Jones coming out of the University of Pittsburgh like this:
“As a pass rusher, Jones II is hard-charging out of his stance and brings a good variety of moves to the table. He’s a smart run defender that competes for his gap, processes quickly, and understands how to counter blocks. The concerns with Jones II entering the next level is his lean frame, modest length, and the need to continue developing his hand technique. Jones II has the upside to start in the NFL and command a majority of the snaps in an even front defense.”
On the Vikings defensive line, Jones will be surrounded with successful faces — through six weeks, the Vikings lead the NFL in sacks.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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