The Vikings’ DT Spot is Careening Toward a Complete Overhaul
Right now, Harrison Phillips is scheduled to be a free agent in 2025.
So, too, are many of the others at the Vikings’ DT spot. Take a moment to peruse the current first and second team for the defensive line. Only Jaquelin Roy is under contract next season. Every other player — Phillips, Jerry Tillery, Jonathan Bullard, James Lynch, and Jonah Williams — is entering a contract year. Does the 2024 season precede a major overhaul along the defensive line? Will Minnesota finally sink major resources into the position?
The Vikings’ DT Spot Could Look Very Different Very Soon
Some of the recent swings at defensive tackle simply haven’t worked.
One thinks of Ross Blacklock, someone who got added from the Houston Texans in a trade. The former 2nd-Round selection was a non-factor. Technically defensive ends, neither of Esezi Otomewo nor Dean Lowry were able to stick around beyond a single season.
Maybe the player who was most worth keeping around was Dalvin Tomlinson, but he snagged a strong deal over in Cleveland (four years and $57 million). Otherwise, it’s Horrible Harry and then a hodgepodge of talent.
Why is that important for the here and now?
Well, the current outlook suggests that things could get pretty lean at DT before too long. Is the 2024 season one long tryout for who gets to form the next generation at defensive line for Minnesota? I see Roy as a breakout candidate, but he alone won’t be enough to get the d-line where it needs to go.
Frame things in a different way.
Currently, Minnesota is in the bottom half of the NFL for their cap allocation for the defensive line. Minnesota has $20,599,773 devoted to the spot, putting them in the bottom half of the NFL but far from the very bottom.
Next season? Well, that’s a different story. Minnesota finds itself at 31st by having just $4,026,439 currently allocated toward the iDL. Note: that doesn’t include edge rushers, a spot where Minnesota has invested considerable resources. What we’re seeing with that number, though, is the absence of the names up top: Phillips, Bullard, Tillery, etc.
One wonders if it’s at all realistic that Minnesota ventures into the offseason with just guys like Jaquelin Roy and Levi Drake Rodriguez as the carryover players. Upon first glance, it looks unlikely, but that’s basically what they did at edge rusher.
For a little while, the EDGE spot was just Andre Carter II and Patrick Jones. Minnesota then went to work, signing Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Jihad Ward before drafting Dallas Turner. Oh, and the UDFA adds — especially Gabriel Murphy — help make the edge rusher spot a little more formidable.
Now, with all that being said, a near future where Harrison Phillips gets extended seems plausible. Pursuing that route would ensure that there’s one predictable building block. Yes, there’s a limit to his pass-rushing prowess, but he’s a strong player who shouldn’t break the bank.
Even if Phillips returns, the Vikings’ DT spot will be in need of some major reinforcements. Keeping some of the in-house talent can’t be outright dismissed — especially if a prove-it year player like Jerry Tillery explodes — but the defensive line’s glut of contract-year players makes it one of the more fascinating positions to monitor throughout the year.
Editor’s Note: Information from Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.
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