The Minnesota Vikings have done a lot to remake their roster on both sides of the ball this offseason, taking advantage of the draft, trades, and free agency.
One lingering question mark is a pass rush that offers a lot of promise but little in the way of a sure-fire game-changer. The Vikings drafted Dallas Turner and signed Jonathan Greenard to replace Danielle Hunter, who signed with Greenard’s former team, the Houston Texans.
However, the Vikings ranked 19th in sacks last season with Hunter and could use more help.
“Emmanuel Ogbah has been a productive and versatile defender during his eight-year career with the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins,” Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox wrote on July 4. “The Minnesota Vikings could also consider Ogbah after reloading their pass-rushing rotation this offseason.
“Ogbah would be a bit of a luxury addition for Minnesota, but it’s worth noting his connection with Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.”
Flores coached Ogbah in Miami from 2020 through 2022. The 30-year-old entered the league as a second-round pick by the Browns in the 2016 draft. He won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs in the 2019 season. Ogbah logged 5.5 sacks and one forced fumble last season.
He also had one interception which came in Miami’s 70-20 win versus Denver in Week 3.
Ogbah is two years removed from posting back-to-back 9.0-sack seasons. He was entering Year 3 of a four-year, $65.4 million contract extension but the Dolphins cut him in February.
Vikings Added Pair of Top 32 EDGE Defenders in Free Agency
The Vikings have $26.2 million in cap space, per Over The Cap. They also signed another former Dolphins who played under Flores, linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel who signed a two-year, $20 million contract with the Vikings in free agency.
Greenard and Van Ginkel set career-highs with 12.5 sacks and 6.0 sacks, respectively, in 2023.
Hunter’s 16.5 sacks ranked fifth last season, illustrating how dire the Vikings’ situation was around him.
The Vikings’ new duo landed in Pro Football Focus’ early top-32 rankings.
“Van Ginkel had a career year in almost every category in 2023, earning a 91.2 overall grade with a 90.6 pass-rush grade,” PFF’s Trevor Sikkema wrote on May 30. “His 53 quarterback pressures and 18.1% pass-rush win rate were both by far the best marks of his career. We’ll see if he can continue that impactful play with the Minnesota Vikings.”
Van Ginkel checked in at No. 24 on the list, ranking six spots higher than Greenard despite the latter inking a more lucrative contract with $76 million over four years.
“Greenard enjoyed his best season as a pro in 2023, with a 78.2 overall grade thanks to a 73.2 pass-rush grade. He finished the year with 12.5 sacks and a 12.8% pass-rush win rate,” Sikkema wrote. “He’ll now look to build on that as a member of the Minnesota Vikings.”
If their presence does not curtail the Vikings’ potential interest in Ogbah, Turner’s might.
Dallas Turner Impressed Christian Darrisaw
The Vikings traded up to select Turner, landing the former Alabama Crimson Tide with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 draft.
Turner logged 10.0 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss as a junior last season.
NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlien compared Turner to New York Giants edge defender Brian Burns. But teammate and Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw saw flashes of Hunter from the rookie during the offseason program. He also had high praise for Greenard.
“I think Dallas is going to be special – and Greenard,” Darrisaw told reporters in May. “Just watching him [Greenard] throughout the year last year, he had an outstanding year. And then 1-5 [Turner’s jersey number], getting him, kind of excited. Just to see that drift pick go across the board, it’s definitely going to help us. He’s going to be a solid player for sure. But yeah, we got two good ones.
“Definitely [Turner’s] explosiveness [shows]. He has that burst. He’s quick. He had a spin move, maybe last week, it was quicker than Danielle’s. I was like, ‘D***, this guy’s gonna be special.’”
The Vikings could view Ogbah as an unnecessary expense given who they have in-house already.
