Vikings DC Brian Flores raves about veteran who chose to return to Minnesota this offseason

The depth on the Minnesota Vikings is one of the more impressive elements of the 2025 roster. There are multiple positions where they have strong depth, and can have good rotation or, at the very least, not see a substantial amount of drop off. One of those is inside linebacker. Blake Cashman and Ivan Pace […]

Tyler Forness NFL & College Football News Writer
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Nov 8, 2020; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Lions fullback Jason Cabinda (45) is tackled by Minnesota Vikings defensive back Kris Boyd (29) and linebacker Eric Wilson (50) in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

The depth on the Minnesota Vikings is one of the more impressive elements of the 2025 roster. There are multiple positions where they have strong depth, and can have good rotation or, at the very least, not see a substantial amount of drop off.

One of those is inside linebacker. Blake Cashman and Ivan Pace Jr. are both good starters, and the third guy last year in Kamu Grugier-Hill played well when he was forced into action, and the Vikings believe they have that player this season in Eric Wilson.

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Brian Flores raves about Eric Wilson

The 2017 NFL Draft gave the Vikings some intriguing pieces, including second-round pick Dalvin Cook. It also gave the Vikings a talented UDFA in Wilson, who was a very good special teams player that also saw success on defense with Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks.

During Thursday's press conference, defensive coordinator Brian Flores was asked about Wilson's return and had a lot of positive things to say.

"Eric's been fantastic. You know, I know he's been here before. I was never with him, but it's almost like he's been here the entire time that I've been here. He's just got a great energy about him. It's a great presence, kind of a veteran presence in the linebacker room, and then he's a total professional. He's in early, stays late, and he's picked things up quickly. He's done a great job. He's kind of taken on a leadership role right away, and excited about his role and the things he can do and how he can help us in a variety of ways. We've got a lot of depth in that room, and it'll be a competitive environment, really, at all positions. But he's been tremendous here."


Wilson left the Vikings after the 2020 season and bounced around the National Football League, having spent the last season with the Green Bay Packers. He isn't coming to the Vikings as some kind of elite player, but a smart veteran who understands how to play football and be a leader on the second level.

The Vikings are in a good spot with their depth, and Wilson is a key cog in that.