Fresh Defender Introduced to Vikings Rumor Mill
The Minnesota Vikings’ spending budget in free agency is slim compared to last year, but that won’t prevent the club from onboarding at least a few notable newcomers. And on Monday, two weeks before the start of free agency, The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis directly mentioned defensive tackle John Franklin-Myers as a possible target.
He’s a name to watch if Minnesota wants a veteran interior disruptor without pushing spending into a new tier.
The name came out of left field, as many fans didn’t expect Minnesota to target another veteran interior defensive lineman.
Franklin-Myers May Fit Minnesota’s Current Free Agent Lane
Add him to your possible shortlist of Vikings free-agent targets. Your bingo board.
The Athletic: Franklin-Myers Could Make Sense for MIN
Answering fans’ questions from a mailbag, Lewis name-dropped Franklin-Myers this week.
He first set the stage for Vikings free agency: “The next phase in answering the question is mostly a conversation of positional priorities. Quarterback takes precedence. Because safeties and centers play essential communication roles, veterans could be the answer at these positions, too. Running back and defensive line would likely be next in line.”
“So, it’s worth looking at potential signings through that prism. Take on a boatload of cap space at quarterback, and the Vikings would need some savvy signings elsewhere. Pay minimally at QB, and the Vikings could try to go big on a defensive lineman, like Denver Broncos defensive tackle John Franklin-Myers (whom The Athletic’s Daniel Popper projected could make around $54 million over three seasons).”
Minnesota also needs roster help at cornerback and safety, so the Franklin-Myers tidbit raised some eyebrows.
Lewis added, “As difficult as it may be to see, there is a path for the Vikings to extend money into the future and invest aggressively over the next two years. This would make for a flurry of activity over the next few weeks.”
The Playing Resume
The Los Angeles Rams drafted Franklin-Myers in Round 4 of the 2018 NFL Draft, and he’s played for two more teams since: the New York Jets in 2020-2023 and the Denver Broncos in 2024-2025. The 29-year-old has appeared in 114 games, starting 83, and collecting 200 total tackles, 34 sacks, 94 quarterback hits, and 35 tackles for loss. The man has hit his groove in Denver and will cash in handsomely from free agency in two weeks.
Here’s his resume from Pro Football Focus:
2018: 65.1
2019: DNP
2020: 71.5
2021: 80.3
2022: 82.6
2023: 70.4
2024: 78.3
2025: 61.9
Franklin-Myers ranked fifth in sacks last year among all interior defensive linemen.
PFF’s Ryan Smith recently noted on Franklin-Myers, “Franklin-Myers has been an important piece for one of the league’s best defenses in Denver the last two seasons, generating 96 pressures and 41 defensive stops over that span. He’s been a consistently productive player over the course of his career, as he generated at least 50 pressures in every season from 2020-2024, earning PFF overall grades of 70.4 or higher in each year.”
“While there appears to be mutual interest in a return to Denver, it may be tough for the organization to bring him back after they signed cornerback Patrick Surtain II, EDGE Nik Bonitto and interior defender Zach Allen to big extensions in recent years. Should he hit the open market, there should be no shortage of suitors for the 29-year-old’s services in free agency.”
The Would-Be DT Room
It’s unclear if the Vikings will release Hargrave or Allen this offseason — Hargrave is a more likely cap casualty than Allen — but if neither man is cut loose, Minnesota will boast its deepest defensive tackle room in decades, perhaps ever.
With Franklin-Myers in the mix, the group would look like this:
- Jalen Redmond
- John Franklin-Myers
- Jonathan Allen
- Javon Hargrave
- Levi Drake Rodriguez
- Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
- Elijah Williams
At a glance, that unit looks “too deep,” meaning a Franklin-Myers signing would likely require Hargrave, for example, to be dropped by interim general manager Rob Brzezinski to make room.
More Aging DTs after Allen and Hargrave?
In 2025, when the Vikings embarked on their huge spending spree, former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah doubled up on veteran defensive tackles: Hargrave and Allen. Neither was terrible in 2025, but neither achieved the envisioned impact.
In fact, almost all DT headlines arrived courtesy of Redmond, who might’ve been the team’s second-best player overall behind wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
Franklin-Myers will turn 30 in September. Would Minnesota really spend another large contract on an aging interior defensive lineman? The draft feels like a more likely destination, as rookies Caleb Banks (Florida), Kayden McDonald (Ohio State), and Peter Woods (Clemson), to name a few, headline April’s class.
Spotrac estimates that Franklin-Myers’s next contract will pay him $7.9 million per season.
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