8 DTs for Vikings to Target before Draft
The Minnesota Vikings have 25 players on track to hit free agency in 10 days, including starting defensive linemen Jerry Tillery and Jonathan Bullard.
8 DTs for Vikings to Target before Draft
General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah spoke at the NFL Combine on Tuesday, acknowledging that his team must improve in the defensive trenches. “To play January football, there’s a certain way you’ve got to play. You’ve got to be able to control the ball, and be able to get after the passer with just four. We need to get better and will,” the Vikings boss told reporters.
And with free agency less than two weeks away, these are seven free-agents-to-be and one trade target to consider for DT improvement.
1. Jonathan Allen
Age: 30
2024 Team: Washington Commanders
2024 PFF Grade: 54.6
The only trade target on this list, Allen’s rumor mill heated up this week.
NFL Network‘s Ian Rapoport tweeted Tuesday, “The Commanders have had trade conversations centered around Pro Bowl DL Jonathan Allen, sources say. Washington plans to do right by the player & Allen’s camp is involved in helping him land at the right spot — either via trade or free agency. He has one year left at $15M.”
Allen has produced quiet years by his towering standards in 2023 and 2024 but was a two-time Pro Bowler before that.
He should be attainable via trade for a 4th- or 5th-Round draft pick.
2. Poona Ford
Age: 29
2024 Team: Los Angeles Chargers
2024 PFF Grade: 85.1
The long-time Seahawk started all 17 games for the Chargers this season, holding down the middle of the defensive line for an impressive Jim Harbaugh defense.
Ford is more of a run-stuffer but certainly does not struggle via pass rushing.
3. Javon Hargrave
Age: 31
2024 Team: San Francisco 49ers
2024 PFF Grade: 60.6
Hargrave encountered a down year by his usual standards but is a two-time Pro Bowler who could, in theory, rekindle his typical stardom with Brian Flores in the Twin Cities.
It’s worth noting that Hargrave does not defend the run well, specializing in rushing quarterbacks and normally doing so at a Top 10 clip among defensive linemen.
4. B.J. Hill
Age: 29
2024 Team: Cincinnati Bengals
2024 PFF Grade: 70.2
Hill started 15 games for the Bengals this year, one of the few bright spots on a defense that opponents frequently torched, leading to Cincinnati mind-bogglingly missing the postseason after quarterback Joe Burrow threw 43 touchdowns to 9 interceptions.
Hill stops the run and pass relatively equitably.
5. Osa Odighizuwa
Age: 26
2024 Team: Dallas Cowboys
2024 PFF Grade: 68.1
Odighizuwa is one of the most durable players in the NFL, and the Vikings would sign a player who hasn’t missed a start in three years.
He’s like Hargrave above — a pass-rush merchant, not a run-plug.
6. Levi Onwuzurike
Age: 26
2024 Team: Detroit Lions
2024 PFF Grade: 69.4
Onwuzurike began to break out this season after three years of injuries and bench duty.
He came into his own on the Lions’ roster when the other players succumbed to injuries. Onwuzurike ranked seventh among all iDL in quarterback hits this season.
VikingsTerritory’s Josh Frey made Onwuzurike his bold free-agent prediction for Minnesota last week: “If the Conference Championship games and Super Bowl taught us anything, teams must be strong in the trenches to make deep playoff runs. Levi Onwuzurike can be a three-down player in the NFL, and the Vikings can use their abundant cap space to lure him away from Detroit.”
7. Jarran Reed
Age: 32
2024 Team: Seattle Seahawks
2024 PFF Grade: 70.6
Reed played about 60% of the time in 2024 and logged 4 sacks.
He, too, doesn’t stifle the run among the league’s best but can terrorize opposing quarterbacks.
8. Milton Williams
Age: 25
2024 Team: Philadelphia Eagles
2024 PFF Grade: 70.1
Williams gets lost in the shuffle with the Eagles because Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis grab all the headlines.
But undercover, Williams is a fantastic defensive tackle, too. He plays about half of all Eagles defensive snaps, and his 90.4 pass-rush grade this year ranked second-best in the NFL among all defensive tackles.
He’s a bit like Harrison Phillips with the Buffalo Bills a few years ago — just waiting on a full-timer’s workload with a new team. DT snaps in Philadelphia are hard to come by with Carter and Davis in the mix.
A Vikings Dream Will Finally Come True
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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