Brian Flores holds the key to tapping into Vikings’ late draft pick that is on track to being a major contributor in 2025
The Minnesota Vikings had just five picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, and they needed to find a way to make the most of them. Going into the NFL Draft, the Vikings didn't have a lot of holes to fill. Mostly, they had depth roles to fill, which is exactly where general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah […]
The Minnesota Vikings had just five picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, and they needed to find a way to make the most of them.
Going into the NFL Draft, the Vikings didn't have a lot of holes to fill. Mostly, they had depth roles to fill, which is exactly where general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wanted to be. They weren't pigeonholed to take any singular position early due to dire need, and it gave them the ability to be flexible with their process.
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins is a bet on upside who can play immediately
After selecting left guard Donovan Jackson at 24th overall and not trading down, the Vikings still had just three picks remaining. Adofo-Mensah worked his magic in moving down multiple times across the weekend to maximize what the Vikings were able to get in return.
They waited until the first pick in the fifth round at 139th overall to address the defense and they did so by selecting Georgia defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins. More of a tweener, he presents a very intriguing package for defensive coordinator Brian Flores
The first thing to know about Ingram-Dawkins is that he's all athlete. He was a five-star recruit, the 20th overall recruit, and the fifth-best defensive lineman in the 2021 recruiting class, making him a true senior.
Ingram-Dawkins also tested out of the gym as a defensive lineman with a 97.9th percentile Relative Athletic Score.
There are a couple of things to note here: he was listed as a defensive tackle for his RAS score, meaning the explosion and agility metrics will resonate more than they would at edge rusher. It also doesn't explain the type of athlete that Ingram-Dawkins is either. For a bigger player, he's a very good athlete, but much more of a linear athlete. What do I mean by that? He's not going to be bendy or super flexible, but he's great in a straight line.
One of the better examples of that is how he plays the run game. Ingram-Dawkins is a very stout run defender with plus length and strength to prevent blockers from moving him off the line of scrimmage. For a player who is nearly 6'5, Ingram-Dawkins does a really good job of getting underneath the pad level of offensive linemen and holding his spot. It's not the easiest to win the leverage battle against players who are shorter than you are, but he does a good job of it consistently.
Speaking of the run game, let's dive into him being more of a linear athlete. He's straight-line athletic and that shows up all over his film. With a player who had those kind of agility scores, it was disappointing to see how stiff his lower body is. There isn't a lot of bend to his game and he struggles to get around blockers. What Ingram-Dawkins can do well is slant and crash.
When he gets a good head of steam. Ingram-Dawkins can get moving down the line of scrimmage to make an impact in stopping the run. His quick get off on the football paired with the speed to move down the line can be very impactful, especially against teams that play a lot of zone.
It's not just the run game where Ingram-Dawkins gets off the ball quickly. When rushing the passer, he gets a jump on the ball quickly and makes it difficult for lineman to get their hands on him. However, getting around blockers is something that Ingram-Dawkins struggles with, as the stiff lower half shows up far too often.
When you play for Flores, you need to be able to handle your own when it comes to slants and stunts. It's a major part of how he wants to rush the passer. Last season, Flores would often have players loop across up to three gaps. That is not Ingram-Dawkins' game as shown below, but he can be plenty good as a crasher with his power and hand usage.
Other than being a crasher, there isn't a lot he can hang his hat on as a pass rusher. There isn't a cohesive pass rush plan to speak of, something we've seen from a lot over the years with Georgia players. When blockers get their hands on him, the rep is usually over, as Ingram-Dawkins looks lost when he has to go to a secondary/counter move.
This leads to what Ingram-Dawkins will be in the NFL with the Vikings. As a tweener, he's a unique type of player, but will he stay as a tweener? With his profile, it would make sense to add about 20 lbs to his frame and play him as a 3-4 DE. However, will asking him to add a bunch of weight take away some of his forward explosiveness? That's the risk you take, but his length, strength, and leverage profile right now tells us that he can thrive as is.
Where he likely fits with the Vikings right now is in the Jihad Ward/Pat Jones II role. Put him on the inside in the NASCAR package, let him be the crasher on stunts, and maximize the length and strength profiles to attack blockers.
Right now, Ingram-Dawkins is just an idea. The athletic profile and his traits set him up to be a really solid player in the NFL. However, he's similar to Jones when he came out of Pitt a few years ago. There are things to work with, but he doesn't have a singular trait that he can lean on to help him out. That can be a problem as he acclimates to the NFL. What will he rely on when he gets in trouble? What is his calling card?
Overall, I see Ingram-Dawkins as a long-term project who can help you out in a hyper-specific role right away, which is why a Flores defense is perfect for him.
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