Current and FUTURE Linebackers?

What could things look like for the Vikings going forward?

There’s been a lot of speculation on whether the current Minnesota Vikings’ linebacking core is sufficient enough to stop opposing teams. The current starters would be Brian Asamoah and the newly re-signed Jordan Hicks. Asamoah is hyper-athletic with a very high ceiling and he showed flashes of it last year. Hicks, although suspect in pass coverage, is a solid run-stopper. If the Vikings draft a backer, we could see Hicks coming off the field in obvious passing situations and letting him play to his strengths.

With Bryan Flores coming in to take control of the new-look Vikings, we’ll look at some current options for linebacker help.

First, we’ll start with the rookie class, and possible targets for the Vikings given the current draft capital of the team. Don’t expect the Vikings to select a backer at 23, instead, we could see a trade back to 30 or so and with that, a possible second and/or third-rounder. If the team decides to trade back, we gain more draft capital and have the ability to go after guys like Trenton Simpson from Clemson, which I know a lot of you have been keeping an eye on. I would look for someone like Demarvion Overshown from Texas. He took a big leap from 2021 to 2022, but didn’t show enough to be a surefire first-rounder, which could let him slip to the Vikings in the early to mid-second round presumably. The same with guys like Drew Sanders from Arkansas and Noah Sewell from Oregon, who thrived in blitz packages like those we will see in Flores’ new defense.

Free Agency is well underway and some of the top backers like Tremane Edmonds, have come and gone. With keeping the scheme fit of Flores in mind, I believe the Vikings should go after a guy like newly released, Myles Jack from Pittsburgh, who Flores just got done coaching. A former second-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft, Jack would feel right at home in Flores’ defense once again.

Maybe, just maybe, Kwesi and company find a hidden gem with one of our last picks in the draft or sign a key free agent to help. But if the Vikings do NOT address their current linebacking depth as of now, do you think the team is in trouble? Or do you think we can be a better defense than last year with Asamoah and Hicks?