Vikings Defensive Line Ranked Ranked Right in the Middle by PFF
The Minnesota Vikings made a ton of moves this offseason to improve their trenches, both offensively on defensively.
Of course, the signings of Ryan Kelly and Will Fries were huge upgrades for the offensive line, and the draft selection of Donovan Jackson very well could mean the Vikings have three brand new starters at the guard and center positions.
The Vikings defensive line, though, arguably was where the team’s biggest splash of the offseason came by signing Jonathan Allen, stealing him from the Washington Commanders. Minnesota also snatched Javon Hargrave, who has been a Pro Bowl selection twice in his nine-year career.
While the upgrades are supremely exciting for Vikings fans, PFF doesn’t seem quite as impressed. Zoltán Buday recently ranked all 32 defensive lines in the league, and for the Vikings, he landed them smack-dab in the middle of the NFL at No. 16.
What Should We Expect from the Vikings Defensive Line in 2025?
Here is how Buday defended the ranking:
“If edge defender Dallas Turner can develop further in his second season, the Vikings could own a top edge defender group. Turner, Minnesota’s first-round pick last year, ranked 63rd with a 64.1 PFF overall grade in 2024. It might not be easy for him to get on the field, though, as Jonathan Greenard (81.1 PFF overall grade) and Andrew Van Ginkel (71.4 PFF overall grade) were among the 33 highest-graded edge defenders last season.
“On the interior, the Vikings will look for veteran additions Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen to find their old form.”
Of course, 2024 saw the Vikings put together one of the more fearsome defensive units in the NFL, allowing the fifth-fewest points per game at 19.5.
Two big reasons for that were the signings of Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel, who, as Buday wrote, put together outstanding seasons as edge rushers in their Vikings’ debuts.
The duo combined for 36 tackles for loss, 23.5 sacks, nine passes defended, five forced fumbles, and a pair of interceptions as both were selected to the Pro Bowl.
Despite this, though, the Vikings regularly gave up some big passing numbers, allowing the 4114 passing yards, the fifth-most in the league.
One reason behind that was the lack of pass rushing presence from the interior of Minnesota’s defensive line, and the Vikings are hoping that these additions of Allen and Hargrave can boost that presence.
Both players have been known as fearsome pass rushers over the course of their careers, but as Buday alludes to, there are some questions for each after injuries derailed their 2024 seasons.
Allen played just eight games in 2024, totaling 19 tackles and three sacks. It came after a 16-game showing in 2023 in which he totaled 5.5 sacks, a pretty steady drop off from his Pro Bowl showings in 2021 and 2022.
As for Hargrave, he played just three games for the 49ers last year due to a torn tricep after being selected to the Pro Bowl in 2023 for putting together his third consecutive season of 7+ sacks.
If the duo does bounce back in 2025, the Vikings very well could hold a top-five pass rushing group in the NFL as long as we get similar outputs from Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. There’s also the matter of 2024 first-round pick Dallas Turner, who at worst, is a solid insurance plan, and at best, poised to make a big leap in his second season.
On the other hand, both Allen and Hargrave likely are entering the tail end of their prime years as Allen turned 30 years old back in January, and Hargrave turned 32 in February.
If they are unable to turn back the clock in 2025, the Vikings could continue needing to rely on names like Jalen Redmond, who had a couple very strong games in 2024.
Regardless, the Vikings have made big strides towards improving their defensive line in 2025, and in all likelihood, this defense will be a very scary group with Brian Flores doing the play calling once again.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
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