The Case for the Vikings Drafting a Linebacker at No. 24
The player needs to be special, but there's a chance it takes place.
Best guess it that a corner is the top priority.
Next up is some jumble of defensive tackle, guard, and possibly tight end (the position is only two-deep). One could also make the case for safety and running back, but the analytics nerds may push back on that path in the 1st.
Allow to me to shoehorn a different position into the mix: off-ball linebacker.
Yes, the position suffers from the same issue as safety and running back — it’s not a premium position — but one could argue that the right linebacker could live up to the 1st-Round status.
And, no, I’m not talking about traditional linebackers of recent history who have lived up to being worthy of opening-round selections (Roquan Smith, Luke Kuechly, Patrick Willis, etc.). Instead, think of someone closer to Anthony Barr and Micah Parsons.
More specifically, I’m keeping an eye on Jihaad Campbell, a linebacker who played for Alabama. He may not last until No. 24, but if he does, the Vikings may shock a lot of people.
The Vikings’ 1st-Round Linebacker Option
Easy to forget, perhaps, but Micah Parsons was being looked at as an off-ball linebacker and not a (near) full-time edge rusher.
The scouting insight on the NFL’s website simply noted that the defender’s “rush talent is a potential wild card in how teams decide to use him.” How did that draft pick work out for the Cowboys?
After Myles Garrett, Parsons could be the NFL’s most fearsome pass rusher. The 6’3”, 245-pound linebacker has snagged a whopping 52.5 sacks across his opening four years in the NFL. Last year featured 12 sacks, which is a career-low number.
The gaudy numbers stand alongside being a four-time Pro Bowler, being a first-team All Pro twice, a second-team All Pro once, the Defensive Rookie of the Year, the main runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022 (even getting some fringe MVP consideration in ‘22).
So, picking an athletically gifted off-ball linebacker with some potential to work as an edge rusher does come with at least some upside.
The issue, of course, is that almost nobody is as good as Parsons. Expecting someone to follow the same path just because there are similarities in size and position versatility isn’t fair.
Consider, as another point of reference, Anthony Barr. He, too, was an off-ball linebacker who has the size to get kicked up to edge rusher. The 6’5”, 257-pound linebacker had a very promising rookie season, picking up 70 tackles, 4 sacks, 7 QB hits, 6 tackles for loss, 3 passes defended, and 2 forced fumbles. He then went on to make four-straight Pro Bowls but never fully lived up to being the No. 9 pick (someone who was, stunningly, picked ahead of Aaron Donald).
Any chance Jihaad Campbell could have a career that’s somewhere between what Barr offered and what Parsons is currently offering? If so, then sinking No. 24 into him could make a lot of sense, folks.
Brian Flores is known, first and foremost, for his aggression. Fair. Don’t forget, though, that the aggression is walking hand-in-hand with a desire to be confusing, a desire to deceive the offense. Indeed, those two things — being aggressive and being able to feign aggression for the sake of creating confusion — are central to what Flores wants to accomplish.
A confused offense is a slow offense. A slow offense is an offense that’s easier to neutralize. Make a football player think too much and the opposition will have the advantage (just think of a QB struggling to decode coverage in real time as pass rushers are collapsing the pocket).
Consider what the NFL website had to say about the young defender: “Campbell has the build and traits of an Alabama linebacker but might need to upgrade in some areas. He doesn’t play with early instincts or play recognition and is inconsistent in challenging blockers and leveraging his run fits. Campbell uses his speed and athleticism to help mitigate mistakes and get to the football at a relatively high rate. He’s a rangy, consistent open-field tackler who excels on third downs as a fluid blitzer and impressive cover talent. The elite traits and athletic talent will be tantalizing, but the best way to utilize him might be as a full-time 3-4 rush linebacker, where he can play more proactively instead of reactively as an off-ball linebacker.”
Key in on a pair of abilities: the blitzing and coverage talent. Similar to Andrew Van Ginkel, Campbell could be deployed as someone who gets asked to play a traditional linebacker role, line up along the edge to rush, or drop into coverage. Leave it to the offense to decode what’s happening on a play-by-play basis (again, think Flores confusion).
Campbell is listed at 6’3”, 235 on the NFL’s website and he ran a 4.52 forty (Parsons ran a 4.39; Barr ran a 4.66).
If all of this sounds too simple, it’s because it is. A lot is going to go into Minnesota’s draft preparation. The point is merely that the off-ball linebacker position could use an infusion of talent (read more) and Mr. Campbell fits the criteria insofar as he’s a young, gifted, versatile player coming out of a major college program.
Last year, Campbell put together 117 tackles, 5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 2 passes defended, and 2 forced fumbles across thirteen games.
Don’t be surprised if the Vikings make a move for him if he’s there at No. 24.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Sports Reference CFB helped with this piece.
Odds & Ends
Dad Joke of the Week
“I saw a guy at the beach yelling ‘HELP, SHARK, HELP!’ Madness…I just knew that shark was never gonna help him.” — Dad Jokes
Links for the Dinks:
Why the Vikings Shouldn’t Have Drafted Justin Jefferson: Yes, I know, the title is a bit absurd, but that’s precisely the point. The logic being used to justify not picking another safety is a bit absurd.
To Win the Super Bowl, The Vikings Will Need a Very Rare Reality to Occur: Justifiably, there’s some skepticism about “the Vikings” being dropped into the same sentence as “the Super Bowl” (unless, of course, there’s a punchline that’s soon to follow). What I’ll note is simply that MIN’s leadership is pushing for a SB, so at least consider what would need to happen for that plan to come to fruition.
All of the Sudden, The Vikings Have a New Trade Target to Consider: Jalen Ramsey can still play. Expensive and older, Ramsey would nevertheless become the team’s CB1 and he has a history with Kevin O’Connell. Worth it?
Thanks for reading and take care of yourself.