Vikings Defender Appears to Have Switched Positions
The OTAs have started and predictably, all eyes are on the so-called quarterback competition between veteran newcomer Kyler Murray and third-year Vikings passer J.J. McCarthy. Of course, OTAs provide many more storylines than that, giving us an early glimpse into the team’s plans on both sides of the ball.
On Wednesday, the first day with media in attendance, the defensive line rotation came into focus. Veterans Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen were cut in March and rookie Caleb Banks has yet to return to the field after undergoing foot surgery that same month. He’s expected to be cleared in July.
Due to the changes, the defensive line is unsettled and depth players Levi Drake Rodriguez and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins have a chance to push for starting snaps.
It looks like, however, that the latter might move to the outside rather than competing for snaps on the interior.
In a video from KSTP’s Darren Wolfson, Ingram-Dawkins (#90) can be seen working with the edge-rushers.
Asked if the sophomore, indeed, worked with the pass-rushers, Wolfson responded, “Did appear so. He has the versatility to play up and down the line. But did appear slimmer from my naked eye.”
That’s certainly notable because the Vikings lack depth on the outside. Jonathan Greenard was traded to Philadelphia during the second day of the draft and no prominent outside linebacker was added via free agency or the draft.
At this point, the Vikings’ edge-rushers are starters Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner, followed by special-teamers Bo Richter, Chaz Chambliss and Tyler Batty, with undrafted rookies Cam’Ron Stewart and Arden Walker providing more depth.
Skol Nation has asked for another signing, such as Leonard Floyd or Jadeveon Clowney, but perhaps the solution has been in the building for 13 months.
Ingram-Dawkins was a fifth-round pick a year ago and played a rotational role along the defensive line. The intriguing aspect is that he entered the league as a tweener, a mix of edge-rusher and interior defender. Though he primarily played inside in his debut season, his immediate future might be on the outside.
His athletic profile is one of the best you’ll ever see, with a 4.86 40-yard dash, a 10-foot broad jump, and a 36-inch vertical jump at 276 pounds. His Relative Athletic Score ranked him 29th of 1812 defensive tackles.
When he addressed the media after the draft, then-GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said about his fifth-round pick:
“Versatility is something that we crave for our defense, and he stuck out as somebody who’s able to do that label, to kind of set the edge working outside in, and then in the rush game, has some ability to win over the guard with a unique skill set. It’s not refined yet, but there’s some stuff in there that’s pretty unique. We think that he’s an incredibly intelligent player, and his best football is in front of him, and we think he’s going to achieve that best football in this building.”
Ingram-Dawkins joined the Vikings as a raw player with elite physical ability, yet his development required patience after playing little in college. He was a backup defender at Georgia on a defensive line stacked with highly-drafted talent. Therefore, his production was limited to just 39 tackles in 37 games.
In his first year in the NFL, Ingram-Dawkins appeared in 14 games and logged one start. Along the way, he secured 12 tackles and one sack, playing 250 defensive snaps and another 95 on special teams. Though he had a quiet rookie season, he occasionally flashed his high-end potential.
It remains to be seen if he continues to work with the outside crew throughout OTAs and training camp or if it was just a one-time thing. Either way, seeing number 90 line up over an offensive tackle next season would certainly not be a surprise at this point.
The Vikings drafted Ingram-Dawkins because of traits and versatility, not polished production. One year later, that versatility might already be creating new opportunities. With Minnesota still searching for pass-rush depth behind Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel, a position switch could be the quickest path to meaningful snaps for the young defender in 2026. He’s still only 22 years old.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
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