Sports
Vikings Territory: The Vikings Are Getting Funky With D.J. Wonnum
Barr returned to normative strongside linebacking duties, and the Ryan sack was just a neat play.
August 7, 2021
Anthony Barr was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2014 as the first pick of the Mike Zimmer era. Because of his size and scouting report at the time, many onlookers of the team believed he could act as an EDGE linebacker in spots.
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But that was an outlier. Barr returned to normative strongside linebacking duties, and the Ryan sack was just a neat play.
Wonnum was drafted as a defensive end, designed to rush the passer like Danielle Hunter or Everson Griffen. He’s not a linebacker; Barr is. But during the Vikings 2021 training camp, Zimmer and co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson are experimenting with Wonnum. The 23-year-old is blitzing as a linebacker.
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This is noteworthy because Zimmer is a 4-3 scheme savant. Zimmer is certainly not opposed to creativity — the New Orleans Saints can tell you all about it from the 2019 playoff game — but dropping a 4-3 defensive end into a linebacker role is somewhat new for this brand of Vikings.
VikingsTerritory‘s Rick Sosa described the scheme as a 3-4ish look:
More evidence on the creative usage of Wonnum was on display at the Vikings first-ever summer scrimmage at U.S. Bank Stadium this weekend. Again, Wonnum was out in open space, making the best of an assignment with a pick-six off a strange throw by the famously-vaccinated, Jake Browning.
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Currently on the other side of the Vikings defensive line opposite Danielle Hunter, a few men are vying for the starting job. Wonnum, Stephen Weatherly, and Patrick Jones II are the suitors. In a bit of a surprise, Wonnum is separating himself for the battle — and it could be in a Swiss army knife role as seen in training camp.
Assuredly, there is no requirement to, for instance, pick Weatherly and stick with him as the season-long defensive end. Zimmer might use all three men — Wonnum, Weatherly, Jones.
No matter what happens, the Vikings must improve the pass rush. It was last in the NFL during 2020 per Pro Football Focus. If that mandates a little 3-4 sprinkled onto Sunday dealings, so be it.
This press release was produced by Vikings Territory. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
