Emerging Vikings defender highlighted by NFL analyst with an interesting rationale

Edge rusher is a position of dire need from a depth perspective, and the Minnesota Vikings have taken a unique approach.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores looks on against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores looks on against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has a unique challenge ahead of him this season, as they will be replacing four starters this season. That has changed the depth of the roster, especially at edge rusher.

Right now, the top depth piece for the Vikings in the edge room is Tyrion Ingram Dawkins, someone that ESPN’s Aaron Schatz highlighted as a non-starter to keep an eye on this season.

“A fifth-round pick out of Georgia in 2025, Ingram-Dawkins is the only drafted player on the edge depth chart behind starters Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner. He’s moving over after playing inside as a 5-tech defensive end last season. In 2025, he had a higher pass rush win rate inside (17.6%) than on his edge snaps (8.0%). None of Minnesota’s edge rushers played more than 67% of the snaps last season, so Ingram-Dawkins is going to get even more chances to make plays in 2026.”

Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins is a fascinating player

When you look at the depth at edge, Ingram-Dawkins is the best player in the room. However, he’s the only one who isn’t an outside linebacker. Ingram-Dawkins is more of a 5T who can kick inside and play 3T.

One of the biggest reasons why he is more of a traditional 5T edge rusher is his flexibility. He is tight-hipped and struggles to bend around the arc, which is important to maximizing what Flores looks for in an edge rusher. How is that going to work for the Vikings? Will Flores make adjustments when he is in the game?

Now, Ingram-Dawkins is long and a great linear athlete (see above), and Flores could view him as a strong edge setter while using blitzes with the linebackers to generate pressure. There is value in what Ingram-Dawkins can bring from that perspective, but if either Dallas Turner or Andrew Van Ginkel get hurt, that will be a major negative overall.

Flores is great at adapting to his personnel, and it would be the same for Ingram-Dawkins.

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