Very Quietly, New Vikings Defender is Carving Out a Role in the Flores Defense
Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
Very quietly, new Vikings defender Taki Taimani is earning snaps.
The behemoth of a defensive tackle stands at 6’1″ and weighs 309 pounds. In other words, he’s one of the largest defenders on the roster, so he’s reasonably being leaned on to clog running lanes. Brian Flores has been trusting the rookie to do so a bit across the opening pair of games.
New Vikings Defender Taki Taimani is Earning a Role
Getting Mr. Taimani to town involved dipping into the UDFAs. The 2024 NFL Draft concluded without the Oregon defender getting his name called.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, as per tradition, was aggressive when adding talent. It’s the approach that has led to additions such as Ivan Pace Jr., NaJee Thompson, Ryan Wright, Andre Carter II, Dwight McGlothern, and others. The GM isn’t afraid to throw money around at this stage of the offseason.
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports.
The man in the middle of the defense landed a three-year deal coming at a total of $2,835,000. Pretty standard stuff. The critical detail is that he landed $100,000 in guaranteed money, a medium-amount in the world of Adofo-Mensah UDFA guarantees.
Making the team is an achievement in and of itself, but it’s noteworthy that he’s getting playing time. Other young defensive tackles like Levi Drake Rodriguez and Jalen Redmond are on the team but not dressing. Taimani is getting onto the field and making a difference once there.
Consider, for instance, a rep against the 49ers:
