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Vikings' Kyle Van Noy Receives Honest Admission on Minnesota Debut
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- Vikings' Kyle Van Noy Receives Honest Admission on Minnesota Debut
It's time to believe the hype. The Minnesota Vikings made a huge move in adding outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, and Vikings fans have every reason to be excited about it.
Earlier this week we noticed that though the move is not what some may think it is, it's important in very specific ways. One way is that it simply adds a savvy player that is smart enough to make plays that perhaps even more athletic players cannot make. It changes how the Vikings can approach each game.
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Van Noy adds quality depth behind young star edge rusher Dallas Turner. He also takes the pressure off Turner in that he won't have as heavy a load to carry on his own.
Tyler Forness of A-to-Z Sports discussed why the move is as advertised for the Minnesota defense. Here's some of what he had to say about Van Noy's addition.
"With Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner as your starters, they will play a significant amount of snaps this season, somewhere in the neighborhood of 850 each if they stay healthy. What they didn't have is someone who could replace what Turner's role was last year: the third edge rusher.
Van Noy can do that and then some. He spent the last three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, averaging about 540 snaps per year, including his lone Pro Bowl season in 2024, where he had 52 pressures and 12.5 sacks on 413 pass rush reps. He's still got the ability to thrive in a multitude of ways for the Vikings, but what's really intriguing is how similar he is to Van Ginkel.
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Van Noy has the ability to play both on and off the ball, and that versatility is huge when playing in Flores' defense. Plus, Van Noy already has a firm grasp of what Flores likes to do, as he's played in his defenses for multiple years.
This is exactly what the Vikings needed."
Jan 30, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; New England Patriots middle linebacker Kyle Van Noy (53) arrives at a press conference for Super Bowl LIII at Hyatt Regency Atlanta. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Van Noy's value is difficult to qualify in that he possesses a myriad of intangible traits that can aid his team. Undoubtedly Flores has plenty to be excited about with the addition.
The talented player may not raise the Vikings' ceiling much if at all. The offense will determine how good this team is. Even so, Van Noy raises the team's floor with consistency and dependability. He will hope to help lead a Week 1 victory over the rival Green Bay Packers.
