Denny Medley – USA Today Sports
The Minnesota Vikings have a nifty 5-2 record through their entire eight weeks because general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah produced a free-agent masterclass seven months ago.
ESPN names the Vikings’ best newcomer
Thanks to contributors like Sam Darnold, Aaron Jones, Jonathan Greenard, Blake Cashman, and Stephen Gilmore, the club has a good chance of reaching the postseason if it can solve the predicament of its recent two-game loss.
Photos by Vincent Carchietta-Imagine.
But the best free agent addition, according to ESPN, through seven games is outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel. Kevin Seifert says he was the first to be shot.
“The Vikings front office has produced an excellent free agent class, and the team would not be 5-2 without contributions from running back Aaron Jones, cornerback Stephon Gilmore and linebackers Jonathan Greenard and Blake Cashman, among others,” Seifert wrote this week, naming Van Ginkel the Purple Team’s top addition. Out of season.
Van Ginkel’s tip was included in ESPN’s latest power rankings, which put Minnesota at No. 9.
Photos by Jeffrey Baker-Imagine.
“But none of them were as impactful as Van Ginkel, who not only led the team with five sacks, but also used a unique understanding of the short-yardage passing game to return two interceptions for touchdowns,” Seifert added. “He is a legitimate candidate for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.” For this year.
Van Ginkel picked off a Daniel Jones pass against the New York Giants in Week 1 and rushed 10 yards for a paycheck. Four weeks later, he did it again, this time off New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, picking it home from 54 yards out. He became the first player in NFL history to record at least 3 sacks and multiple interception returns for touchdowns in the first five games of a season. Before him, no player had ever done that before.
not bad.
OLB Andrew Van Ginkel made it official and became a Minnesota Viking on March 15, 2024, in Eagan, Minnesota. Van Ginkel spent the 2019-2022 seasons with the Miami Dolphins and joined Minnesota via free agency in 2024. He grew up cheering for the Vikings.
Van Ginkel started all seven games for the Vikings in 2024, racking up 33 total tackles, 19 QB pressures, 8 QB hits, 8 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 2 touchdowns. He’s also responsible for his impressive Pro Football Focus grade of 77.2. It’s very good.
Minnesota signed Van Ginkel shortly after outside linebacker Daniel Hunter joined the Houston Texans in free agency, promising a one-two punch with him and Jonathan Greenard, who arrived from Hunter’s new team, the Texans. Six weeks later, Minnesota also drafted Dallas Turner for good measure, solidifying the Vikings’ pass rush plan for 2024 and beyond.
Photos by Jeffrey Baker-Imagine.
The Vikings’ 2024 free-agent class is also unique, because players like Darnold, Jones, Greenard and Van Ginkel feel like equal, vital contributors.
But according to ESPN, Van Ginkel is the best.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube channel, VikesNow. The program features guests, analysis and opinions on everything related to the Purple Team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His obsession with the Vikings dates back to 1996. He lists guilty pleasures: peanut butter ice cream, “The Sopranos,” “Basset Hounds,” and “The Doors” (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All stats provided by Pro Football Reference/Stathead; All contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
