One Vikings defender stands out in a big way on Saturday afternoon, and it’s the last guy you’d expect
The Minnesota Vikings had a really impressive player against the Baltimore Ravens, and he just arrived.
The biggest theme out of the Minnesota Vikings‘ 13-3 preseason loss against the Baltimore Ravens was the performance of J.J. McCarthy. He struggled mightily in a multitude of ways, bringing up the idea of possibly moving on from him. Outside of the No. 1 talking point, there were a lot of interesting players.
Arguably the most interesting part of the Vikings right now is on defense. They have numerous position battles across the board, including how the depth at edge rusher will shake out.
Minnesota Vikings may have found a gem in Kenny Dyson
During the week leading up to Saturday’s game, the Vikings added edge rusher Kenny Dyson. He spent time this past season with the Houston Gamblers and got 4.5 sacks over the season, and it landed him in Minnesota.
Being that he hasn’t been with the Vikings for even a week, it’s realistic to expect him to take a week to get acclimated before we get to see what he really is. Dyson didn’t wait at all, as he thrived on Saturday afternoon.
Dyson played significant snaps against the Ravens, hitting the field 24 times and led the team in pressures with four on just 10 pass rush snaps, per Pro Football Focus. Dyson also had the only sack on the day. It was an impressive rep, as he bended well around the arc to get to quarterback Joe Fagnano.
The Vikings have historically done a great job of identifying players in unique areas. They found defensive lineman Jalen Redmond from the UFL, and linebacker Jacob Roberts came from the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL. Will Dyson be the next guy to make a run at the roster? After a debut like this, all eyes will be on him throughout the week and against the Denver Broncos on Friday night.
