While Brian Flores has often been lauded as an exceptional asset from the sideline, he may have his best defense yet. The front seven has earned early praise, and now we’re seeing it come to life on the field.

Training camp opened last week for the Vikings. Media has been present a bit longer than fans have. The takeaways may be the same.

Defense steals the show early for Minnesota Vikings

Plenty of excitement exists for the Vikings with J.J. McCarthy being healthy and commanding the offense. He’s going to have plenty of time to establish himself this year. How much heavy lifting he has to do will be a reflection of the defense, and they were the talk of the latest Access Vikings episode.

“I think the front seven has certainly been the big one [takeaway]. Certainly yesterday [Monday] first day in pads, I think that was the big takeaway. Just how diverse that pass rush can be. With Dallas Turner looking like he’s going to get a bigger role alongside Van Ginkel and Greenard. You add those tackles to it. I mean the pass rush was very disruptive in that first day…we’ll see that continue as we go.”

Ben Goessling – Access Vikings

“Yeah, I agree with Ben. I think when all of us media were sitting there just watching. Greenard get after it. The first pass rush rep was between Van Ginkel and O’Neill. That one was a great rep and a great matchup to watch throughout. The interior. I talked to O’Neill afterwards and he mentioned Jonathan Allen has moves that frankly none of our defensive tackles I’ve played with before have done. He’s mentioned the hump pass rushing move that Reggie White made famous back in the 90’s. He’s saying this guy does it better than anybody that I’ve seen. O’Neill went as far as saying, just as far as dudes and talent, this is the best defensive line I’ve seen us face thus far in camp.”

Andrew Krammer – Access Vikings

It’s good that there is a consensus on the Vikings defensive front. It’s also validating from the perspective that it was a clear focus in free agency. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah went out and targeted interior help. The additions of Allen and Javon Hargrave only heighten the impact of the edge rushers.

While the secondary is going to have some new faces, the front seven can help to impact the opposing passing game. The more that Flores can scheme his group to get home, the better the unit as a whole will be.

Related: MN Vikings O-Line Getting Healthy Fast

Minnesota kicks off the exhibition slate on August 9th against the Houston Texans. McCarthy will be under center and the pass rush will get a chance to show off what they have. Fans can also flock to TCO Performance Center in Eagan, and it may be best while the New England Patriots are in town for joint practices.

That same offseason, the front office also inked former Gopher Blake Cashman, to play alongside 2023 UDFA-turned-starter, Ivan Pace Jr., who’s since become a Viking fan favorite. And during the 2024 regular season, Minnesota’s investment on defense began to immediately pay dividends.

Together, the fivesome above accounted for 34 of Minnesota’s 48 sacks last season, led by Greenard and VanGinkel, who put up 23.5 all by themselves. They also claimed 1/3 of the team’s tackles (342/1094).

But even after the successful construction project last season, there was one clear weak spot on the front seven and it was up the middle of the defensive line. So, during the 2025 offseason, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah went back to work.

Defensive additions cement Minnesota Vikings front seven

This spring, the Minnesota Vikings replaced Jonathan Bullard and Jerry Tillery with Pro Bowl caliber interior defensive linemen, Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen, upgrades that, on paper, should lift the Vikings defense both against the run and especially the pass.

Longtime football analytics guy, Warren Sharp (Sharp Football) agrees. On Monday, he ranked the MN Vikings front seven as the best in the entire league, up 24 spots from 2024.

The biggest mover across our entire rankings was the Minnesota front seven, which jumped 24 spots to No. 1 this year. The Vikings added both Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave to a defensive front that finished sixth in pressure rate and fourth in sacks last season. 

Warren Sharp – Sharp Football

It’s certainly a shock to see the Minnesota Vikings front seven ranked as the best in the sport. If anything though, it’s a reflection of just how close they were to having one of the most dominant defenses in the league last seaosn

The edge rushers and linebackers were already in place. Harrison Phillips is a legitimate piece and remains as such. But now, the additions of Hargrave and Allen should make the 2025 Vikings defense look more like the purple people eaters than anything we have seen in a long time.

Of course, both Allen and Hargrave are in their 30s and come with injury concerns. After eight relatively healthy NFL seasons, Hargrave played just three games for San Francisco last year. He tore his right triceps and finished with just one sack and seven tackles. He’s now 32 years old and will have to remain on the field for the Vikings.

Some of Javon Hargrave’s reps from the other night

What’s insane is a guy his size should not be able to move the way he does 🤯 pic.twitter.com/qOhAhir2Ul

— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) September 24, 2023

Related: Bears Nearly Drafted JJ McCarthy Over Caleb Williams with No. 1 Pick

Allen spent the first eight years of his career with Washington. Now he’s 30 years old and coming off an eight game season in which he tore his pectoral muscle. He finished with an underwhelming three sacks in his limited games played last season, part of 19 total tackles.

But Minnesota’s training staff clearly likes where both guys are at physically, opinions that head coach Kevin O’Connell and the rest of the organization hold in the highest (damn near cocky) regard. And if the Vikings’ new interior tandem can stay healthy though, then their latest defensive investment should prove more than worth it.

Is the MN Vikings front seven for real?

Beyond just the new additions though, Minnesota has depth to both push and back them. We already mentioned Dallas Turner, who finished with three sacks in his rookie season and has unlimited room for growth, given his freaky athletic profile.

Dallas Turner #Skol big year 2 otw pic.twitter.com/kqLt3NOAVc

— PassRushDiary🦅 (@PassRushDiary) July 15, 2025

There could be more from talents who pop at camp too, including youngsters like Bo Richter and Gabriel Murphy as well. The Minnesota Vikings also used a fifth round pick this April on Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, one of the most athletic late round picks in the draft.

Inside linebacker Kobe King comes in as a sixth round pick. They also went out and got a deal done with veteran free agent linebacker, Eric Wilson, and he already has familiarity here.

In short, the Vikings are in a position to make noise in the NFC North. If new starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy can shoulder the load offensively, this is a defense prepared to win football games.

It started as the sun was coming up, with the signing of Commanders defensive tackle, Jonathan Allen, who spent Monday in Eagan on a visit. That announcement was quickly followed by the other two top 15 additions — Colts guard Will Fries on the OL and 49ers DT Javon Hargraves to assist Allen on the interior DL.

Last season it was clear that Brian Flores’ defense lacked push on the interior defensive line, a problem the Vikings talked about addressing this offseason. With the additions of Allen and Hargrave, they’ve paid off that promise tenfold.

Jonathan Allen deal with Minnesota Vikings gets sweeter

But wait, it gets even better, at least for one of the contracts agreed upon Tuesday. The initial numbers on Jonathan Allen’s deal are different than the 3 years, $60 million that was originally reported. Per Ben Goessling (Star Tribune), Allen’s contract will actually come in at 3 years, $51 million, with only $23.5 million fully guaranteed.

The confusion: Allen has incentives built into this new deal that can push its value up to $60 million, over 3 years. That’s a pretty big rounding error that should put up to $5 million in cap space back in the Minnesota Vikings’ pockets for the rest of this offseason. they continue to navigate the rest of this offseason.

Jonathan Allen's deal with the #Vikings is actually $51M over 3 years, with $10.5M of incentives. $23.255M fully g'teed.

Full terms:

$14M SB; $850K per-game rosters, $100K workout each year

2025: $1.255M base (full g'tee)
2026: $16M ($8M full g'tee, other $8M g'tee 3rd day of…

— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) March 11, 2025

Allen’s base salary in 2025 is a paltry $1.255 million, with a cap hit of $6.421 million in 2025. That number jumps up to $21.6 million in 2026. Very little money is guaranteed in 2027, when the 30-year-old DT carries just a $4.6 million dead cap number.

Yes that means the deal is more backloaded, but it gives the MN Vikings continued spending power this offseason. While Adofo-Mensah went to work in a big way during the second day of legal tampering, there are still plenty of holes to fill on the roster.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Free Agency Signings – 2025

Realistically the contract is a two-year deal for Allen, and gives the Vikings some flexibility to make a decision prior to 2027. As they build the roster around J.J. McCarthy, making sure each phase of the game is addressed remains a must.

The open holes are still plenty capable of being addressed this offseason. Minnesota still has around $50 million in cap space. It remains unlikely they utilize all of that in free agency. They’ll need to sign draft picks and potentially push some of that spending power to 2026.

Total cap hits of the five #Vikings deals we've seen terms for so far (Byron Murphy Jr., Jonathan Allen, Aaron Jones, Isaiah Rodgers and Ryan Wright): $23.51 million.

Rob Brzezinski and senior manager of football administration Emily Badis are running a master class.

— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) March 11, 2025

By working the contracts for Allen and Byron Murphy Jr. as they have, the Vikings not only added talent but keep all of their options open. It’s a pretty great best of both worlds situation.

Where do these extra dollars get spent?

As mentioned, there are multiple holes for the Vikings to still fill. They absolutely need to sign a quarterback after Daniel Jones opted to sign with the Indianapolis Colts. What level of player that is remains to be seen, but J.J. McCarthy isn’t going to be the only player rostered.

There is probably an opportunity for another cornerback or safety addition as well. Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers were handed free agent deals, but Mekhi Blackmon and Dwight McGlothern are the only other real options at corner.

Related: Daniel Jones Bails on Vikings QB Competition vs JJ McCarthy

Theo Jackson signed an extension before Cam Bynum went to the Colts, but Harrison Smith hasn’t indicated his plan yet. Even if he returns, someone to work alongside those two and Josh Metellus makes some sense.

Kevin O’Connell may also want another wide receiver for his offense. Jalen Nailor left something to be desired at times, and Jordan Addison is likely to face some sort of discipline. Cooper Kupp is expected to be released by the Los Angeles Rams and those parallels are plentiful.

How the Vikings handle the rest of their cap space remains to be seen. The fact that the still have ample amounts of it is a great thing.

Then, as kids were getting home from school and adults were clocking out for the day, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (or maybe head coach Kevin O’Connell) made his move. The first The Athletic Top 150 free agent signing of the day was on the interior offensive line, 31-year-old center Ryan Kelly (Colts).

A few hours later, the MN Vikings accomplished a rare feat in bringing back one of their own unrestricted free agents, 27-year-old Byron Murphy Jr, after he had already (unofficially) hit the market and negotiated with other teams. It wasn’t cheap, though.

Minnesota Vikings sign top DT Jonathan Allen

But Kwesi (or O’Connell) & Co. weren’t done yet. After a short night’s sleep, the Jeremy Fowler (ESPN) woke up bright and early Tuesday morning with more Vikings news. Top defensive tackle Jonathan Allen (Commanders), who visited TCO Performance Center on Monday, has agreed to terms on a 3-year, $60 million contract.

Two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jonathan Allen has reached an agreement with the #Vikings on a three-year, $60 million contract, per @AdamSchefter. The deal was negotiated by @blakebaratz of @TeamIFA.

Help in the trenches for Brian Flores’ defense. pic.twitter.com/ZbNLWQIaO4

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 11, 2025

Allen’s new deal cannot be signed until the league year officially begins on Wednesday. But when he does put pen to paper, it’s worth noting that — because Allen was released by the Commanders — this signing will not count against the MN Vikings comp pick formula for the 2026 NFL Draft (per Thor Nystrom).

Well, the 30-year-old 2X Pro Bowler plays on the interior defensive line, so the signing won’t get a lot of run, nationally. After news of Allen’s signing broke on ESPN’s “Get Up” Tuesday morning, all-time Patriot linebacker great Tedy Bruschi tried to change the conversation away from QBs, over to how great of a get Allen is for Minnesota. The rest of the panel laughed him off and asked, ‘what does that have to do with Aaron Rodgers?’.

How excited should Vikings fans be about Allen signing?

But from a winning standpoint, the Allen signing will prove as the most important signing of the Minnesota Vikings offseason. Jonathan Allen is the No. 10 overall free agent on The Athletic’s Top 150, easily becoming the highest ranked Vikings free agency signing this week. Byron Murphy Jr was ranked 28th overall, Ryan Kelly was 74th.

Jonathan Allen has 401 total tackles, 118 quarterback hits, 60 TFL and 42 sacks in 109 games during his 8-year NFL career. Until 2024, when he missed 9 games due to a season-ending pectoral injury, health has never really been an issue for Allen, who started at least 15 games every year from 2018 to 2023.

Jonathan Allen, visiting the Vikings today, can still play. He’s not the same guy he once was, but he’d be a big addition at the right price. pic.twitter.com/0TwZjKzHK2

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) March 10, 2025

PFF is not the biggest fan of Jonathan Allen, in recent seasons. In 2024, he got just a 54.6 grade in 300 snaps prior to his injury. One season earlier, he posted an underwhelming 59.7 defensive grade.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Free Agency Signings – 2025

From 2020 to 2022, however, Allen posted much more respectable PFF grades of 80.1, 84.9 and 80.3, respectively. The former Alabama Crimson Tide monster’s specialty is getting after the passer, something his PFF grades also make apparent.

Free agency is a different process for every player. Some are ready to dive in blindly, without ever visiting their new organization or meeting their new coach. Others have already been negotiating under the table for days, if not weeks. Then, there are the guys who want to vet out their next team in person.

Minnesota Vikings to host Jonathan Allen on free agency visit

Apparently, former Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen is the latter type. Because one of Tom Pelissero’s (NFL Network) first tweets of the negotiating period late this morning was a report that Allen has set a visit to TCO Performance Center with the Vikings on Monday.

Two-time Pro Bowl DL Jonathan Allen is visiting the #Vikings today, per source.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 10, 2025

The fact that Allen is in Eagan today tells you that he is very interested in playing for Minnesota. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that this is likely his top choice. By setting a visit with the Vikings first, both sides can decide if they want to strike a deal immediately. If not, both sides can move on with plenty of time to find another fit.

Related: Vikings Make Shortlist of Daniel Jones Finalists

Over the course of his 8-year NFL career, Jonathan Allen has accumulated 401 tackles, 118 quarterback hits, 60 TFL and 42 sacks total sacks in 109 games. He has stayed mostly healthy, until 2024, when he missed 9 games due to a season-ending pectoral injury that I am sure the Minnesota Vikings are eager to get a look at today, during Allen’s visit.

PFF has not been the biggest fan of the 30-year-old Allen over recent seasons. In 2024, he got just a 54.6 grade in the 300 snaps he saw before his injury. 2023 (59.7) wasn’t much better. From 2020 to 2022, Allen posted PFF grades between 80 and 85. His specialty is pass rush, which his PFF grades also bear out.

Last season, the Vikings navigated to a surprise 14-3 final record, good for second-best in franchise history. And they did it despite moving on from Kirk Cousins and losing potential franchise quarterback J.J. McCarthy, within a 6-month timespan.

But what hindered the Minnesota Vikings most toward the end of the season, and what ended one of the best runs we’ve ever witnessed as fans, was a serious weakness in both trenches. That’s why, over the course of the next 60ish days, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has made it clear defensive tackle will be a priority position.

That’s where the news from this morning, that two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jonathan Allen is hitting the Washington Commanders trade block, got the attention of Vikings Twitter. Although he played just eight games last year, Allen has accumulated 401 tackles, 118 quarterback hits, 60 TFL and 42 sacks total sacks in his 8-year NFL career (109 games).

The #Commanders have granted permission to Pro Bowl DT Jonathan Allen to seek a trade, per multiple reports. Allen is in the final year of his contract and none of the money is guaranteed. pic.twitter.com/nJ3tqesMWC

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 25, 2025

Last season general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah nailed the edge rusher position in letting Danielle Hunter go while bringing in Greenard and Van Ginkel. As previously mentioned, however, the interior of the defensive line was still a major problem. Allen, even at 30 years old, would answer a huge offseason question in Minnesota.

Jonathan Allen has interest in the Minnesota Vikings

But wait, it gets better. Not only should Allen be an obvious target for the Minnesota Vikings, given he plays at a position of such great need, but according to Darren “Doogie” Wolfson (KSTP) on SKOR North Tuesday, there’s already one report out there saying that Jonathan Allen would love to be traded here.

“Here’s what I would tell you. My sense is that he would have all sorts of interest in being a Minnesota Viking. A lot of players would have interest in being a Minnesota Viking. They have set up an infrastructure that lends itself to a lot of players having interest in being here. Whether the Vikings want to play ball, whether the Vikings reciprocate that interest remains to be seen. To suggest that Allen would have interest in the Vikings, I would say you are accurate in doing so.”

Darren Wolfson on Jonathan Allen (Skor North)

It’s not as though the Commanders are necessarily putting Allen out there. He is on the final year of a four-year contract that carries a cap hit of $22,352,941 in 2025. But he’s looking for a new deal and, being he is 30-years-old and coming off of injury, the extension price shouldn’t be impossibly high, like it might with some of the free agents out there.

The cost to land Allen is uncertain, but it’s not expected to be anything more than a day three pick. Maybe day two, if a bidding war takes place, but that’s probably unlikely, given his age and the term remaining on his deal.

Related: Vikings’ First Reported Meeting at NFL Scouting Combine is with a Defensive Tackle

That’s good, because Minnesota doesn’t have a significant amount of draft capital to play with. With just three draft picks to their credit at the moment, they may need to get creative if they want to make any trades this offseason.

Whoever the Minnesota Vikings sign up front on defense is expected to be paired with Harrison Phillips, between edge rushers Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner. In other words, Jonathan Allen is exactly what Kwesi and defensive coordinator Brian Flores are looking for.

MN Vikings get scary up front with Jonathan Allen

Jonathan Allen is still liable to wreck any given play pic.twitter.com/xRTVmud6c3

— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) January 27, 2025

Related: Successful Sam Darnold Experiment Proved Vikings Don’t Need Him in 2025

If it’s not Allen, the Vikings will be in the market for someone like him either through free agency or the draft. If they go the draft route, the hope would be that the player has an Allen-like trajectory. Simply trading for him would ensure a relatively projectable sense of production.

Brian Flores’ defense can continue to take strides this season. The turnover in the secondary can be mitigated by how capable the front controls the line of scrimmage. Opposing offenses certainly don’t want to see Allen added to that group.