One Viking Is Truly Shining — Almost Quietly

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.

For now, Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s 2024 free-agency class is a group that grandparents will tell their grandkids about in a few decades.

One Viking Is Truly Shining — Almost Quietly

Men like Andrew Van Ginkel, Aaron Jones, Blake Cashman, and Sam Darnold have stood off the page amid the Vikings’ unforeseen 5-1 start.

Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.

But don’t forget about outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard.

Of course, Van Ginkel is drawing the appropriate headlines after two interception returns for touchdowns in six games, plus the general look of an actual Viking with his long blonde hair. Greenard, however, is right there with Van Ginkel per 2024 performance.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.

The Athletic’s Alec Lewis tweeted Monday, one day after Minnesota suffered its first loss of 2024: “Jonathan Greenard is putting together a pretty special season. Forty-eight defenders have rushed the passer 150 times this year, and only Aidan Hutchinson has a higher pressure rate than Greenard. His # hovers directly above Trey Hendrickson, Nick Bosa & Myles Garrett.”

In a nutshell, Greenard is the NFL’s second-most productive pass rusher per pressure rate. It doesn’t get much better than that and his 77.3 Pro Football Focus grade. That man is balling out. Utterly balling.

And this is after long-time Vikings outside linebacker Danielle Hunter ventured to his hometown Houston Texans seven months ago — Greenard’s previous employer. The Vikings and Texans essentially traded Hunter and Greenard, and while Hunter isn’t struggling in Houston, Greenard’s 2024 production supersedes Hunter’s.

Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.

The average annual salary of Greenard’s deal with the Vikings is $19 million, placing him around 15th among the NFL’s pass-rushers — a steal of a deal per his current pace. In 2023, he logged 12.5 of his 23 career sacks with the Texans and also added 52 tackles and 15 tackles for loss in 15 games. This season, Greenard is on track for 14 sacks, which would equal a career-high.

The Vikings’ defense ranks first in the NFL per DVOA and EPA/Play through six games, even if the Detroit Lions “figured out” Brian Flores’ scheme for about 90 minutes in Week 7. Greenard is one of the keynote forces upfront, propelling the No. 1 ranking. In fact, adding Van Ginkel and Greenard to directly replace Hunter seems like a plan made in heaven about halfway through the 2024 campaign.

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images.

Next, Greenard and the Vikings travel to Los Angeles for a date with the Rams and are early-three point favorites to prevail. Greenard is the real deal — and then some.

Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL. 

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.