The Minnesota Vikings defense appeared to be among the best in the NFL in November 2023, but things came apart fast in December, and the team’s inability to make the playoffs was mostly due to the consequences.
A major factor in this was the dearth of depth at cornerback, and aside from Danielle Hunter, the defensive line’s lack of explosive players also impacted. Despite his strong play, D.J. Wonnum suffered a quad tear in Week 16 and missed the final two games of the season.
In 2024, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores intends to make a difference in this, and the approaching free agency window is the ideal chance to do so.
Harrison Phillips and Jonathan Bullard became starters as a result. In 2023, both players were capable of halting the run, and they were well-liked in the locker room.
But Flores wants a game wrecker, and neither is. He should have some options thanks to his free will.” – The Athletic Alec Lewis
Wilkins’ preference over Danielle Hunter is quite logical.
An outside pass rush is obviously key in today’s game, but interior pressure is just as valuable, if not more. And Wilkins can provide elite results in that category. He provided the Miami Dolphins with a 10.3% pressure rate in 2023 (14.7% against true pass sets) and his 58 total pressures ranked ninth among all interior defensive lineman, per Pro Football Focus. Wilkins’ 10 sacks (PFF’s number) tied for fifth-most and his 16 QB hits were good for third-best. Eight of the 10 sacks came against true pass sets, which is a solid rate. For instance, seven of Aaron Donald’s 10 sacks came against TPSs and six of Chris Jones’ 14 sacks were of the same context. Wilkins has also started every single game over
The Vikings have $32 million cap space after 2024 draft cost, but over $75 million if Cousins and Hunter resign before March 13, due to dead money pushed back.
According to our projections, Wilkins’ deal will be worth $23 million annually, while Hunter’s pact will be worth $22.5 million. The important thing to remember about these figures in 2024 is that there won’t be many first-year cap hits. Our estimates are $6.2 million and $9 million, in that order. But it’s crucial to keep in mind that those numbers will start to soar as early as next year.
