Vikings Give Pass Rushing Department a Boost with 1 More Add at Edge Rusher
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Vikings Give Pass Rushing Department a Boost with 1 More Add at Edge Rusher
A Minnesota Vikings fan's helmet is shown in the crowd during the first half against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Oct 9, 2017. The distinctive purple fan gear stood out in Chicago, showcasing Minnesota team pride during another classic NFC North rivalry matchup on the road. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports.
K. Joudry·Vikings Territory
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4 min read
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The Vikings worked into the final 53-man roster with some concern in the pass rushing department. Maybe that's not quite the case about a week after the announcement.
Alec Lewis (The Athletic) shared the news of a young fella being brought back into the mix tohelp at edge rusher: "The Vikings are adding edge rusherKenny Dysonto the practice squad, per source. Really impressed the team late in the preseason. Has some major twitch to him."
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Vikings Give Pass Rushing Department Another Boost
For a little while, the concern among many of Minnesota's fans was that Brian Flores would need to lean onAndrew Van Ginkel,Dallas Turner, and then a mystery box at edge rusher.
All along, that perspective was misguided.
The off-ball linebackers feature a pile of players who will demand playing time. Both of LB2Eric Wilsonand LB3 Jake Golday are capable of lining up as edge rushers. LB1Blake Cashmanalongside LB4 Ivan Pace Jr. are good ball players who can get sent on blitzes aplenty. Furthermore, defensive lineman Ty Ingram-Dawkins is prepared toget flexed out wide.
Dec 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Andrew van Ginkel (43) reacts with linebacker Eric Wilson (55) and linebacker Blake Cashman (51) after a sack against the New York Giants during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Still, beefing up the pass rushing effort is never a bad idea.
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Recent news has involved the update that Minnesota opted forsigning veteran edge rusher Kyle Van Noy. Back in 2024, Van Noy blew up the stat sheet with his 12.5 sacks, a terrific number that's unlikely to be attained again. Does he nevertheless have some good football left inside of him? Getting to somewhere within the 6-8 sack range would be a great outcome.
InKenny Dyson, the Vikings are signing somebody who is already familiar to them since he got added partway through the preseason.
The Ravens preseason game involved the newcomer picking up a sack. In the clip above, Mr. Dyson does a nice job of using a slick rip move to get to the passer before finishing the play with a good tackle to bring the quarterback to the ground. Minnesota will want more of that.
Jan 5, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) passes over Carolina Panthers defensive end Kenny Dyson Jr. (55) during the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
More broadly, Dyson looked comfortable when tasked with making the quarterback uncomfortable.
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He finished his pair of Vikings games with 6 pressures and 2 quarterback hits to stand alongside that sack (PFF). Both preseason games meant tossing nice PFF pass rushing scores onto the board: an 81.6 grade versus the Ravens and 84.9 grade versus theBroncos. Replicating these efforts in the regular season, while far from a guarantee, would involve the Vikings being very pleased.
Kenny Dyson is listed as being 6'3″ and weighing 235 pounds. At least in a traditional sense, that's a bit small for an NFL edge rusher. Look for Dyson to see if he can overcome any concerns that could arise to being a touch on the smaller end of things.
The edge rusher is following in the footsteps ofJalen Redmond. Both defenders were UDFA adds of theCarolina Panthersbefore then needing to play ball in the spring pro league. Can Dyson elevate his game with the Vikings in the same way that Redmond did?
Aug 8, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive end Derrick McLendon (40) and defensive end Kenny Dyson Jr. (55) high-five before a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
The Vikings host thePackersin Week 1 of the 2026 regular season. Bringing downJordan Lovewill obviously be a major factor in being able to begin the season at 1-0 instead of 0-1.
