ESPN Pounds the Table for Stealthy Vikings Rookie
The hype train has started for Minnesota Vikings rookies after the club drafted five newcomers in April and signed 20 more from undrafted free agency.
ESPN’s Field Yates shouted out one Vikings rookie this week who could blossom from the late rounds.
Vikings rookie minicamp kicked off last weekend, so the hype train really began to chug.
And there’s no bigger choo choo than ESPN’s Field Yates, who forecasted Vikings defensive tackle Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins for an instant impact in 2025.
Field Yates on Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
Yates nominated 13 defensive rookies for an impact in 2025, and Ingram-Dawkins found a place on his list.
Yates explained, “Minnesota overhauled its defensive line this offseason with a pair of big-ticket veteran additions in Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, so Ingram-Dawkins does not have a clear path to a large role. But his versatility is key. Georgia played him in multiple spots along the defensive front, and while his sack production was not robust, he was a havoc wreaker with his length, burst and strength.”
“Coordinator Brian Flores is among the most innovative defensive minds in the league and will throw out some wonky fronts that can confuse quarterbacks. Ingram-Dawkins has the traits to be a movable chess piece along the D-line as depth in Minnesota.”
At the top of his list for non-Round-1 defensive rookies lived Carson Schwesinger (LB, Cleveland Browns) and Nick Emmanwori (S, Seattle Seahawks), impressive company for Ingram-Dawkins.
Ingram-Dawkins’ Path to the Vikings
The Vikings didn’t have many picks this go-round, so the few who found their way to the purple team stood off the page.
Minnesota selected Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson in Round 1, Maryland wide receiver Tai Felton in Round 3, and Ingram-Dawkins in Round 5, the team’s third pick of the event.
Several draft pundits profiled Ingram-Dawkins as an EDGE rusher leading up to the event, but it appears Minnesota will try him out on the defensive line’s interior, at least according to Vikings.com’s roster designation.
Dawkins is 6’5″ and 280 pounds and notably ran a 4.86 forty at the NFL Combine, intense speed for a defensive lineman.
Role in 2025
If Yates is right about Ingram-Dawkins’ impact, he’ll have to clear a path on the current depth chart. The Vikings have Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave, Harrison Phillips, and Jalen Redmond, among others, on the current roster. It might’ve been easier for Ingram-Dawkins to find rookie playing time for past versions of the Vikings that did not prioritize the DT spot.
Ingram-Dawkins certainly won’t start in September, but with former purple DTs like Jonathan Bullard no longer on the team, he should earn some reserve snaps.
Sudden Riches at DT for Vikings
A plethora of defensive tackles is a brave new world for the Vikings.
Before the 2025 offseason, fans always hoped that Minnesota would finally invest in one after largely ignoring the position since Kevin Williams left the franchise in 2013.
Now, though, the team has “too many” defensive tackles, leaving folks to wonder if rookies like Ingram-Dawkins can crack the lineup for playing time.
It’s a champagne problem all of a sudden.
Janik Eckardt on Ingram-Dawkins
At our partner site, PurplePTSD‘s Janik Eckardt recently wrote about Ingram-Dawkings, “Some listed him as an edge rusher, but he is more of an undersized interior lineman who can win with quickness. The Vikings list him as a defensive lineman, not an outside linebacker. Ingram-Dawkins didn’t have much production, but that’s how it goes at Georgia, in a rotation with a bunch of five-star recruits and first-round talents.”
“In 37 career games, Ingram-Dawkins recorded 39 tackles and four sacks. But that’s not why the Vikings drafted him; it’s his physical upside.”
The guy sounds tailor-made for defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
Eckardt added, “His quickness and speed are absurd for an interior lineman. The Vikings allowed Jihad Ward to leave, an outside linebacker on paper but really an interior rusher with about 200 snaps on obvious passing downs. Ingram-Dawkins seems to be the obvious replacement.”
“The sky is the limit for the 21-year-old. It’s now on the coaching staff to get the most out of the fifth-rounder.”
Ingram-Dawkins will turn 22 next month.
Unsung Vikings Rookie Turns Heads
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