3 best team fits for EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux in 2022 NFL Draft
By Scott Gorman
3. Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings were a Jekyll & Hyde team on the football field in 2020. The offense showed brilliantly at times with star newcomer Justin Jefferson and Pro Bowl RB Dalvin Cook. However, the offense struggled at times, and matters were worsened with the Vikings’ struggles on the defensive side of the ball. Stud EDGE rusher Danielle Hunter missed the entire 2020 season with a neck injury and the team was not able to adequately compensate for his loss.
Yannick Ngakue led the team with five sacks and left this offseason to join the Las Vegas Raiders. The Vikings will have some tough decisions to make following the 2021 season, as Hunter is due an $18 million roster bonus by the start of 2022. If Hunter performs, then paying him becomes a no-brainer and everyone lives happily ever after. But if Hunter struggles on the field or via injury again, the Vikings will need to look at potential long-term replacements.
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One dynamic option is Oregon’s Thibodeaux. He has a frame similar to Hunter’s and the same type of explosiveness that makes Minnesota’s incumbent a threat for double-digit sacks each year. Barring injuries, Minnesota likely won’t perform poorly enough to have a realistic shot at Thibodeaux, so the Vikings may need to pull off a blockbuster trade to secure his services.