The Minnesota Vikings adding an edge rusher might not offset the loss of safety Jamal Adams. However, it would shore up one of the biggest remaining question marks on their roster, and adding waves of pass rush productivity is never a bad idea.
Vikings general manager Nolan Teasley also didn’t push back on the idea of adding to the room when speaking to reporters at the start of training camp.
“Yeah, if there’s a good football [player] out there, we’re actively discussing it and pursuing it,” Teasley said. “Finding ways to improve our roster every day of the week, every day of the month, and every day between now and the trade deadline and the end of the season. There’s always good football players out there for sure.”
While the free agent edge-rusher crop has dwindled with three veterans signing over the past week, Dustin Baker of Vikes Now thinks the Vikings could still find a quality contributor by adding two former Super Bowl-winning edge rushers.
The first of which is Leonard Floyd, who won the big game alongside head coach Kevin O’Connell when they were both with the Rams. He also highlighted two-time Super Bowl champion Kyle Van Noy as another option, noting his experience playing under defensive coordinator Brian Flores in New England (from 2016 to 2018).
Regarding Van Noy, Baker wrote, “He might actually be the cleanest veteran EDGE fit because Flores could utilize more than just his pass rush. Throughout his career, Van Noy has shown he can move across fronts and fill various defensive roles. While his production dipped to roughly two sacks in 2025, this isn’t about finding another star. The Vikings need an experienced defender after Greenard left via trade and Adams went down on Saturday.”
The Vikings Are One Injury Away From A Disaster At Edge
As it stands now, second-year man Tyler Batty would be the next man up if either Andrew Van Ginkel or Dallas Turner were to go down. He’s received quality reviews from training camp, but he’s also a completely unproven commodity, playing only 42 defensive snaps last season.
Barring another addition to their edge rusher room, this will be the worst edge depth the Vikings have had entering a season in recent memory (Dallas Turner and D.J. Wonnum/Marcus Davenport were significantly better options as the third edge rusher). It’s paper-thin at the moment.
Aside from Batty, some also believe that second-round pick Jake Golday can pin his ears back and set the edge. He does have experience on the defensive line, but most believe his ideal position is off-the-ball linebacker (which is also where he’s listed on the depth chart).
“I saw him taking snaps at off-ball linebacker, but he took edge-rush reps the day after I left camp,” ESPN’s Ben Solak wrote. “My guess is he’s only a sub-package player early, but he has the frame and length to be a great blitzing stack linebacker in Year 1.”
Van Noy and Floyd Should Both Have Gas Left In Their Tanks
The Vikings could do a lot worse than adding Van Noy and Floyd if they’re interested in improving their edge rusher depth. Van Noy is only two years removed from a 12.5-sack Pro Bowl campaign in Baltimore.
Meanwhile, Floyd’s 36 pressures last season ranked second on the Falcons. He also had five straight seasons of at least 8.5 sacks before a down 2025 campaign, when he only nabbed 3.5 sacks.
Neither player is someone that you’d want to rely on to play a key role. However, they wouldn’t have to do so as the third edge rusher. They’d ideally only see the field as a situational rusher to keep the starters fresh. That’s a role that either player can thrive in.
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