5 Vikings Defensive X-Factors to Watch vs. Texans
Preseason for the Vikings has been more fun to watch the last few years when it comes to the defense. Besides watching the intricacies of Brian Flores’ system, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell, along with Flores’ input, have grabbed some intriguing undrafted free agent players.
The preseason is the perfect opportunity to see if they made a John Randle-like discovery that becomes a starter like the Hall of Famer, or at least a solid starter like Ivan Pace Jr., who went undrafted a few years ago. I took a look at the offensive players you should watch on Saturday, and now I can shift to the defensive players.
Five Vikings defensive X-factors are set to take center stage against the Houston Texans. Here’s who to watch intently as roster battles and preseason momentum heat up.
We’ve been hearing a lot of hype about the defense this camp season, thanks to the upgrades on the defensive line with Johnathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, with some even saying our front seven might be one of the best in team history.
Defense can sometimes be harder to gauge because players are doing something that is part of the scheme. Linemen aren’t always trying to get to the quarterback and may be drawing off an offensive lineman to open a hole for a blitzing linebacker.
Flores’ defense is so complex that NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger referred to it as a “Rubik’s Cube” on their Inside Training Camp broadcast when he visited camp on Wednesday. So, who might be able to solve their individual spot and get all the colors to match?
5 Vikings Players on Offense to Monitor vs. Texans
Levi Drake Rodriguez
Drafted in the 7th round in 2024, most thought that this was merely a depth piece to have at camp. Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell had different thoughts. When they drafted him, they felt that they had truly found a player who could have an impact on the field.
Last year, LDR did make some splash plays in the preseason. Most famously, his sack during the Raiders game garnered significant attention from Justin Jefferson, who spoke from the sidelines to Paul Allen and Pete Bercich in the booth. He didn’t get any in-season action until the game in Seattle, but he showed up when it mattered and got a pivotal tackle for a stuff on a run. He has only gotten more skilled and has been more than flashing at camp this year. So much so that they have him listed as the top backup to the three starters.
That could mean he’ll come in on passing downs to add to the pass rush along with spelling Harrison Phillips, Hargrave, and Allen.
Gabriel Murphy
Here we have another undrafted free agent from last year’s class. Murphy didn’t do much in college but is seen as an athletic player with potential if given the proper development. He could have been viewed as a potentially great special teams player at the very least.
I was surprised to see him listed as the 4th Edge player on the roster. Last year, he didn’t give much to be seen or desired on tape. And while I haven’t heard much hype about him in camp, he is obviously doing something right to put him in his current position. When they pull Andrew Van Ginkel and Johnathan Greenard, all eyes will be fixed on Dallas Turner and Murphy to see what they can do.
Even high draft picks sometimes take a year to develop, and that may be the case with Murphy as well. If he has grown enough in the last year, he could make some more noise on defense this season, rotating in on the edge.
Mekhi Blackmon
Last year, Blackmon was lost to a devastating knee injury. It was really too bad because he had shown real promise the year before, and the cornerback room was wide open for him to take a more prominent position.
The team went out and got Isaiah Rodgers to pair up with Byron Murphy Jr., but there were still considerable questions for the nickel corner and depth in general. Things have evened out a bit with Jeff Okudah stepping up and Dwight McGlothern having a strong camp with 3 interceptions in as many days. Blackmon is listed ahead of him, though, even without any positive reports of how great he’s doing. His successes may just be quieter than others.
Corners are like offensive linemen sometimes; if you don’t hear their name, it means they’re doing their job. It would be great to see if he’s back from his injury and can make some plays in this game, letting the fans know we have some decent depth at the position.
Brian Asamoah II
Part of the notorious 2022 draft, some pundits saw Asamoah as a draft steal with his athleticism and speed on the field. He had some moments in his first season that had fans excited for his progress. Then, it just seemed to stop. He was relegated to a backup role and a special teams player. Most attributed this to his inability to figure out Flores’ defensive schemes.
Regardless, he’s sitting firmly on the roster bubble and may be why he took a little extra shot on Aaron Jones in practice that started a minor scuffle. Unless he can make some strong, consistent plays in this game the team may move on from him sooner than later. Especially if rookie Kobe King has some highlights.
Bo Richter/Tyler Batty
Richter is another undrafted free agent from last year, and Batty is from this year’s crop. While they play the same position as edge defenders, they are different in their physical attributes. Batty took 2 years after high school to go on a mission for BYU, so he’s older (26) as a rookie than Richter (24), who has a year under his belt after graduating from the Air Force.
Richter is 6’1″ tall and 248lbs, while Batty is 6’6″ and 271lbs, which is where you really see the difference. Richter makes up for his size with being a ball of muscles, speed, and a motor that won’t quit. Batty is long and fast and can stick a paw in the air to bat down a pass. These two hitting the field should be fun to watch, fighting for a spot on the defense. Richter does have tape from last year from playing on special teams and also recovering a fumble.
So, Batty will need to shine quite a bit to either pass or match Richter’s play to stay on the active roster versus going to the practice squad.
Ryan Wright
Special teams can sometimes hold some of the most interesting battles in camp. Punters and kickers can be put through the wringer simply because their time on the field is so limited, but can have a considerable impact. Wright started his rookie season with huge punts that had teams waving for fair catches on the regular and starting inside the 20-yard line.
However, the last few years have been less than impressive, especially when he tries to angle kicks out of bounds to neutralize the returner. It hasn’t been bad, but just … meh. The Vikings brought in Oscar Chapman, who hails from Australia and played at Auburn. He’s a decent punter, and it seems the Aussies always seem to do well in the NFL. Wright might not be in imminent danger of losing his job, but if Chapman has some good punts and shows promise, teams usually go with the cheaper option.
If the punts are equal, the following litmus test is who is better at holding for Will Reichard on field goals, and Wright will most likely have that edge.
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