The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of players who are being talked about this offseason. But as we are a month away from training camp, there is one player who isn’t grabbing headlines.
The previous coaching staff lovedD.J. Wonnumand rushed him into emergency duty during his rookie season. He registered three sacks, including a game-clinching sack againstAaron Rodgerswhile he was learning on the fly.
Wonnum went into the offseason and seized a starting job out of training camp. He started 14 games, leading the Vikings with 42 pressures and collecting a career-high eight sacks. Still, he never felt like an emerging player.
Entering his third year, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Wonnum.
His accolades sound enticing, but most fans wonder why I brought up Wonnum right now. He ranked fifth among Vikings edge defenders last season with a 57.8 pass-rushing grade and fourth with a 9.1% win rate. Those numbers were down from his rookie season. If it weren’t for five sacks against the Chicago Bears, Wonnum might be a prime candidate to get cut during training camp.
But a new coaching staff shouldn’t mean the end of his time in Minnesota. The Vikings hiredKevin O’Connell充分利用当前纳税人the roster. While the core of this group missed the playoffs the past two seasons, O’Connell’s job is to take a player like Wonnum and find a suitable role on this team.
What could that role be? Let’s go back in time to find out.
It was considered a reach when the Vikings selected Wonnum in the fourth round of the 2020 draft. He collected 14.5 sacks in four seasons at South Carolina but was never considered an impact player. Like most of the Vikings’ defensive end prospects, he had the size (6’5″, 258 lbs.) and athleticism, but he didn’t have the production to match.
Still, Andre Patterson saw something in him. Patterson had built a reputation of finding athletic players and turning them into suitable starters.布莱恩RobisonandEverson Griffenwere two of Patterson’s prized pupils, butDanielle Huntermay be the valedictorian.
Wonnum possessed similar traits to Hunter coming out of LSU, so Patterson convinced Rick Spielman to draft him.Known as Patterson’s “pet cat,”Wonnum had high expectations that he validated by a strong collegiate resumé.
After collecting six sacks during his sophomore season, Wonnum was nominated for several of the nation’s top awards. His teammates voted him team captain after that season. Wonnum also played in the SEC. Had he gone to a smaller school, he could have put up bigger numbers and turned himself into an elite prospect. Instead, the Vikings were thrilled to get him in the fourth round.
Still, Wonnum’s success hasn’t translated to the pros. With O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah sifting through the final remnants of the Mike Zimmer/Rick Spielman era, they have no connection to a player like him. Like several players who may not make it out of camp, cutting Wonnum opens the door forEsezi Otomewoor evenPatrick JonesII, but that wouldn’t answer the question that O’Connell needs to answer.
Was Zimmer using this guy the right way?
In their minds, Wonnum was the prototypical edge rusher. His size and speed would be a nightmare for opposing tackles, and the slow-bake approach could have netted them another contributor. Zimmer’s schemes were partly responsible for his untouched sacks last season, but they also put him in the right situations to succeed.
If Wonnum were whiffing on these softballs, there would be cause for concern. By sending the quarterback to the ground, we at least know that he can thrive in a specific role.
Pegging Wonnum as “the next Danielle Hunter” put unfair expectations on him heading into last season. But if he turns into an adequate pass rusher, there’s a chance he could provide depth on a team that doesn’t have much to begin with.
Consider how NFL.com’s Lance Zuerlein scouted Wonnum heading into the draft. While he noted that he was versatile enough to stick his hand in the ground, he was best suited for a stand-up role in a 3-4 defense.
“He’s not a premium pass rusher but possesses desirable length and slippery body turn to create pressure with secondary rush effort or when activated in a twisting front,” Zuerleinwrote. “His lack of speed and suddenness could work against him and his ceiling might be as a good backup with a rotational potential off the edge.”
That would be an ideal scenario for the Vikings. Hunter and free-agent acquisitionZa’Darius Smithare two of the top edge rushers in the NFL, but their health history doesn’t promise availability through all 17 games. With a wide-open depth chart behind them, Wonnum could step up if either Smith or Hunter goes down, opening the door for more playing time.
Better yet, Ed Donatell’s defense figures to attack the quarterback in more versatile ways. A training camp press conference hinted at using Hunter all over the formation, including rushing him in the middle. With most of Wonnum’s pass-rush snaps coming as a blitzer through the A-gap, there could be a weapon waiting to be unleashed for 20-30 snaps a game.
Is this going to fulfill Patterson’s prophecy? Probably not. But it’s a role that Wonnum can manage.
If the Vikings figure out a way to use him, it could create depth where it wasn’t before. If he doesn’t perform in camp, the Vikings can cut him and move on. It’s a no-lose situation for the Vikings, who will need to get more out of the roster if they plan on making a run next season.
