This offseason, the Minnesota Vikings decided to part ways with Jonathan Greenard, trading the veteran pass rusher for draft picks. Minnesota is banking on Dallas Turner to take a major step in filling the role that Greenard had.
Nonetheless, could the Vikings be looking at the edge position at any point between now and the trade deadline later this year? In a May 16 article from FanSided’s Jake Beckman, the Vikings could be a potential landing spot for one pass rusher.
With free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft behind the teams, Beckman noted one potential target for each team that will address a major roster question mark. As for Minnesota, Beckman notes that the New York Giants‘ Kayvon Thibodeaux would be a player to target.
“The Vikings traded Johnathon Greenard to the Eagles during the draft, and now they’re going to be missing out on a whole lot of snaps and even more production,” Beckman wrote.
“Luckily for them, the Giants are sitting there with a plethora of defensive ends and edge rushers. New York might be saying that they’re not going to trade Kayvon Thibodeaux, but that’s what every team says, so they don’t lose leverage in any potential trades.”
Last season for the Giants, Thibodeaux posted a 66.0 overall PFF defensive grade. He played 494 total snaps while recording 32 total pressures, three sacks, 23 hurries, and six hits. Moreover, he registered 20 solo tackles.
Vikings Need to Figure Out General Manager Situation
Nonetheless, Beckman notes that a potential trade for Thibodeaux or any other pass rusher wouldn’t happen now, given that the team doesn’t have a general manager, as the Vikings are conducting their search for one.
“If the Vikings wanted to go and get him, they’d definitely be able to… However, if you’re a Vikings fan, that’s probably not what you want,” Beckman added in his article.
“Sure, Thibodeaux would end up being awesome, but I don’t necessarily want my team to make any trades when they don’t have a general manager. Especially after they just traded a player like Greenard for the low price of two third-round picks.”
Dallas Turner Gets Blunt Message Ahead of 2026 Season
Regardless, as of now, the Vikings are betting on Turner to take a major step and be the go-to guy who gets to the quarterback. With Greenard now gone, former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber was asked whether this upcoming season is a make-or-break one for Turner.
“It’s huge [for Turner],” Leber said during an April 27 appearance on KFAN. “It’s a chance for him to be a true three-down player and see if he can carry the same amount of disruption, and if not more than Greenard…
“[Greenard] had, unfortunately, a lot of missed sacks where he would slide off the guy off the top of his shoulders or something like that. So he was getting to the quarterback. He was ultra effective. Can Dallas Turner do that now when he’s getting 75 percent of the defensive snaps as opposed to what he’s been getting up to this point?”
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