Vikings Pass Rush Duo Pulls Down National Love
The Minnesota Vikings once again employ one of the top EDGE rushing twosomes in the NFL.
Bleacher Report sized up the league’s best pass rush duos, and the Vikings made the list. Their edge combo is finally drawing national attention, a welcome sight.
One might have to recall the days of Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen to find the last time the Vikings employed two equally ferocious EDGE linemen.
And according to Bleacher Report, the combination of Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard is good enough for the league’s fourth-best EDGE pair heading into 2025.
NFL Pass Rushing Rankings: Vikings at No. 4
Bleacher Report gave the Vikings their EDGE flowers this week.
Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard Grab No. 4 Ranking among EDGE Duos
After Pro Bowl performances in 2024 from each man, Van Ginkel and Greenard got the nod from BR’s Matt Holder, who ranked pass-rushing couplets this week.
Holder wrote, “While Greenard had success with the Houston Texans, they had no problem letting him leave in free agency during the 2024 offseason. Meanwhile, Van Ginkel was cast away by the Miami Dolphins and had never been named to a Pro Bowl nor earned an All-Pro bid before last season. However, Minnesota took a chance on both players during free agency and became the only team to have two players finish in the top eight for sacks.”
“Greenard was half a sack short of tying a career high, getting to the quarterback 12 times, while Van Ginkel recorded his first double-digit sack campaign and nearly doubled his previous personal best (six) with 11.5. On top of that, the former Texan finished third among edge-rushers with 80 total pressures, and the former Dolphin was 26th with 49, according to Pro Football Focus.”
Van Ginkel and Greenard played so well last season that 1st-Round rookie Dallas Turner couldn’t crack the starting lineup.
“Part of what makes the free-agent signings’ contributions so impressive is that the Vikings don’t have a plethora of other quality pass-rushers on the roster. While Patrick Jones II—now with the Carolina Panthers—had seven sacks last year, he wasn’t a consistent winner with just 24 pressures, per PFF,” Holder added.
“And the next two sack leaders were off-ball linebackers Blake Cashman and Ivan Pace, as Minnesota’s defense is reliant on Greenard and Van Ginkel to get pressure.”
Andrew Van Ginkel in 2024
Van Ginkel rapidly transformed into a fan favorite in 2024, his first season in purple. He made an impact right off the bat, taking an interception from Daniel Jones back for a pick-six in Week 1. Then, he never really slowed down.
All told, Van Ginkel tabulated 79 total tackles, 11.5 sacks, 19 quarterback hits, 18 tackles for loss, and two pick-sixes in 2024.
He earned the aforementioned Pro Bowl trip and a $23 million extension in April.
His Pal, Jonathan Greenard
The cool part? Greenard played just as well, if not better.
The ex-Houston Texan recorded 59 tackles, including 18 tackles for loss, 4 forced fumbles, and 3 pass deflections, along with 12 sacks. He also registered 80 quarterback pressures, which ranked third in the NFL behind Trey Hendrickson and Myles Garrett.
Greenard equitably stuffed the run and tormented the pass, sometimes a rarity for outside linebackers.
Don’t Forget Dallas Turner in 2025
Meanwhile, the Vikings EDGE department could soar to new heights in 2025, mainly because Turner will rotate into the lineup as OLB3. Last season, the Vikings often used Patrick Jones II and Jihad Ward. Those men no longer work in Minnesota.
There’s a decent chance that BR and others are raving about three Vikings pass rushers a few months from now.
Denver Broncos Take Home Top Spot
Holder called the Broncos’ tandem of Jonathan Cooper and Nik Bonitto the best in the NFL.
He explained, “The Denver Broncos led the NFL with 63 sacks last season and by a wide margin, as the Baltimore Ravens finished second with 54, nine fewer than the Broncos. To put that in context, the difference between the Ravens and the third-place Dallas Cowboys was just two sacks. Unsurprisingly, Denver’s pass rush is led by its two edge defenders.”
“Bonitto enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2024, when he finished third in the league with 13.5 sacks to earn his first Pro Bowl bid and a second-team All-Pro selection. Meanwhile, Cooper ranked tied for 12th with 10.5 sacks and was just half a sack away from cracking the top 10. On top of that, these two were some of the most consistent edge-rushers in the NFL last year.”
The Broncos’ defense ranked No. 1 in the last per various efficiency metrics — the only team to top the Vikings at No. 2.
Holder continued, “Granted, this duo has the least amount of combined sacks within the top five, yet it is listed as the No. 1 pair. That’s because they also have the least amount of experience (seven seasons) and the most room for growth, as their potential moving forward is through the roof.”
“In addition to Cooper and Bonitto, the Broncos have one of the best combos of interior pass-rushers in Zach Allen (25 career sacks in six seasons) and John Franklin-Myers (26.5 sacks in six seasons), and a young, promising edge-rusher off the bench in Jonah Elliss, who had five sacks as a rookie. In other words, expect Denver to be in opposing quarterbacks’ faces again this fall.”
Danielle Hunter, mentioned above, along with Will Anderson, checked in at No. 2, representing the Texans.
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