Last season, the Minnesota Vikings signed Ivan Pace Jr. as an undrafted rookie. He went on to elevate himself as one of the key players on the defense. Brian Asamoah’s playing time took a significant hit, but can he trend back up in 2024?
Can Brian Asamoah Carve Out a Role in 2024?
When the Minnesota Vikings drafted Asamoah in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the hope was that he could solidify the middle of the defense. Ed Donatell did less with more for that group, but Asamoah emerged as a possible player to watch as he developed within the league. Unfortunately, he rarely saw the field for Brian Flores last year, and his contributions in 2024 are a big question mark.
Playing in 16 games as a rookie, Asamoah played only 13 games last year for Minnesota. Generating just 36 snaps on defense in the first year under Flores, it was as though the new coordinator had decided against using the former Oklahoma Sooners standout. Still buried on the depth chart, Asamoah must show a reason for Flores to believe.
The Vikings are set to start Pace Jr. and newly acquired Blake Cashman at their linebacker positions in 2024. The former is established as among the focal points of the defense. The latter was a highly sought-after free agent who will be given plenty of leash. Asamoah would need to make quite the impression if he takes snaps from either. What he must focus on doing is making the most of his opportunities.
Entering his third year in the NFL, Asamoah should be confident in his ability to contribute. He forced and recovered a fumble as a rookie while flashing an ability to be lightning-quick to ball carriers. Asamoah showed off an acumen to be in the right spot, and he wasn’t seen as a culprit in a Donatell defense that left so much to be desired.
Ultimately, it’s fair to wonder how many more chances the Vikings will give Asamoah. His slide in year two isn’t what you want to see, and the roster now has better alternatives. If Asamoah can carve out some shred of a role this season, that would be a great rebound to see.
If he can’t, then his time with the Vikings could end.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.