Ex-Vikings linebacker Brian Asamoah should still be playing for the Minnesota Vikings .
Opting for the speedy defender in the 3rd Round of the 2022 NFL Draft was with an eye toward him helping to solidify the position for years to come, but he struggled (a troubling trend from that draft class as a whole).
Consider the news about Asamoah. Jordan Schultz sends along the update on social media : "Sources: The #Falcons are signing former #Vikings LB Brian Asamoah II. A former 3rd-round pick out of Oklahoma, Asamoah recently worked out for Atlanta and will provide much-needed depth."
Asamoah is built for the modern game.
At 6'1″ and 230 pounds, Asamoah could be mistaken for a large safety. What he is instead is a smaller linebacker who appears well-suited for the modern game insofar as he moves really well. In theory, he should be capable of being a sideline-to-sideline mover who can extinguish pass catchers in the flats.
Asamoah did show some of that promise as a rookie. In 2022, Asamoah played in sixteen games, putting up 17 tackles alongside 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. On occasion, the rookie showed some explosiveness within that Ed Donatell defense.
Dec 8, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Brian Asamoah II (6) celebrates his teams fumble recovery against the Atlanta Falcons during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
He would go on to play a couple more seasons in Minnesota but couldn't breakthrough.
Initially, the modest start to his career got explained away by the emergence of Ivan Pace Jr. The 2023 UDFA add was terrific in his debut season, leading to a starting spot beside Jordan Hicks. Asamoah got left in the depth chart dust but not too many had concerns since it was a different young lad (Pace) who overcame him.
Plus, Brian Flores had just been hired in that '23 season, so switching to a new defensive scheme helped to alleviate the concerns since Brian Asamoah deserved some time to adjust.
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But then what became evident was that the 3rd-Round selection wasn't figuring things out. The linebacker played in 46 games but didn't start a single contest. Matt Daniels used Asamoah plenty on specials, but that's a disappointing way to go for somebody chosen to high.
Since then, Asamoah has put in some time for the Tennessee Titans , Las Vegas Raiders , and Cincinnati Bengals . At no point has he broken through with these teams to do anything particularly noteworthy.
Dec 4, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Brian Asamoah II (33) leaps over the celebration pile late during the fourth quarter after an interception by safety Camryn Bynum (24) off New York Jets quarterback Mike White (5) sealed the victory at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.
In Atlanta, Brian Asamoah should work toward shining on specials. Any tackler who moves well and is physical can offer value on kickoff and punt coverage. After all, a major reason why he went at No. 66 overall was due to running an impressive 4.56 forty, a time that puts him ahead of somebody like Eric Kendricks (4.61 forty).
Step 1: play fast, physical football on special teams. Build up from that humble starting point. That'd be my message to him if I were his agent.
The 2026 Vikings schedule sees the Falcons coming to U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 12. Something that's of note is that Kevin Stefanski is now the skipper down in Georgia. Some other ex-Vikings to be working for the Falcons are corner Mike Hughes , edge rusher Za'Darius Smith, guard Kyle Hinton , and tight end Nick Muse.
Brian Asamoah is still only 26.
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