‘He’s obviously worked hard’ — Brian Flores sings the praises of emerging star on his defense
Heading into the 2025 season, the Minnesota Vikings’ defense appears poised to be another strong unit that could rank among the best in the storied franchise’s history. The reason why this defense looks as good as it does isn’t just because it has an elite group of starters like Jonathan Greenard and second-team All-Pro Andrew […]
Heading into the 2025 season, the Minnesota Vikings’ defense appears poised to be another strong unit that could rank among the best in the storied franchise’s history.
The reason why this defense looks as good as it does isn’t just because it has an elite group of starters like Jonathan Greenard and second-team All-Pro Andrew Van Ginkel; its depth is what sets it apart.
When you look at the depth, it’s strong on the defensive line, and one of the emerging stars ready to break out is the top UDFA addition from last season in edge rusher Gabe Murphy.
Gabe Murphy is impressing during Vikings training camp
Murphy’s performance in the first preseason game opened the eyes of many to how good Murphy could be. He was starting to impress at the beginning of his first training camp before his knee injury knocked him out for multiple weeks. That true breakout came against the Houston Texans at the beginning of August, and it was a great sight to see.
Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores spoke very highly of Murphy before Tuesday’s practice.
“I think Gabe has done a great job this training camp,” Flores said. “He really got off to a hot start last year’s training camp. Unfortunately, he had the injury, and we didn’t get to see him the rest of that training camp, but he’s obviously worked hard. He was on injured reserve and on the practice squad, and played a little bit and really did a real good job of getting himself ready for this particular training camp. And it showed, in the run game, in the pass game, and in special teams. He’s done a real lot of really good things, and then he’s performed in games. So I think Gabe has done a nice job.”
Murphy would be the first guy off the bench when it comes to the rotation since Greenard, Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner are all considered starters. His performance so far during the preseason and in joint practices against the New England Patriots has made that apparent.
How will Murphy do against starting-caliber competition on a regular basis? If it’s anything like his one game with significant playing time against the Atlanta Falcons, he will be a factor this year.
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