Danielle Hunter (Vikings): It wouldn’t be cheap, but perhaps the most straightforward way for the Vikings to solve their pass-rushing problem would be to bring back the free-agency target they can sign before anyone else. Hunter thrived in Brian Flores’ system, finishing the year with a career-high 16½ sacks, and the team has shown interest in bringing him back on a new deal. But with Hunter set to hit the open market for the first time in his career, after playing on a deal his camp regarded as outdated, the Vikings would have to commit big money to keep the 29-year-old in Minnesota.
Chase Young (49ers): A former No. 2 overall pick in the draft, Young played just 12 games from 2021-22 after a torn ACL, before the Commanders traded him to San Francisco last season. He’s a dynamic pass rusher who could be available on a prove-it deal. Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has shown a willingness to bet on those types of players, and Young, who had 74 pressures in 536 pass-rush snaps, could show the kind of potential that piques the Vikings’ interest.
Jonathan Greenard (Texans): Greenard would be expensive, but at age 26, he could be worth the investment: He’s proven himself to be a capable run defender, with the eighth-best run stop rate in the league among edge players last season, and he broke out with 12½ sacks in DeMeco Ryans’ defense last year. If the Vikings are willing to invest in a fixture for their pass-rushing group, Greenard could make sense.
Bryce Huff (Jets): The fact that Huff posted 10½ sacks in his contract year, at age 25, could make him an expensive target in free agency, and the Vikings might need to work with him as a run defender. But Huff posted a pass-rush win rate of 29.1% last season, seventh among edge defenders. That alone could make him attractive to the Vikings, who had just one player (Hunter) with a win rate above 14% last year.
Andrew Van Ginkel (Dolphins): An affordable player who did some of his best work in Flores’ defense with Miami, Van Ginkel is just 242 pounds, and might be better as a situational player. But he’s quick off the line and has thrived in Flores’ deceptive scheme, as Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips know well from the 2020 game where Van Ginkel had a 78-yard fumble recovery TD, as well as a quarterback hit and a pass breakup, in Miami’s victory over the Rams.
