A year ago, there was no doubt about which Viking entered a make-or-break season: Sam Darnold. The passer had previously been demoted to backup duties in San Francisco, and his stints in Carolina and New York ended without much success. He made it in perhaps his final chance as an NFL starter.
A Vikings defender is this year’s Darnold.
Dalton Wasserman, PFF, accumulated the league’s make-or-break players. Javon Hargrave is Minnesota’s choice.
He explained his list: “Every year, players throughout the NFL reach a crossroads in their careers and can single-handedly make or break the success of their team’s season.”
Javon Hargrave
And then, he wrote about Hargrave: “Last season, Minnesota’s interior defensive linemen ranked 28th in the NFL in PFF pass-rush grade as a unit. The team signed former 49er Javon Hargrave in free agency with the hope of improving upon that. Hargrave’s 2024 season was cut short due to injury, but if he gives the Vikings an elite pass-rush presence, he could change the outlook of their defense.”
The interior pass rush has been a problem in the Twin Cities ever since Kevin Williams exited the building for the final time. That was over a decade ago, and the club emphasised defensive tackles with run-stuffing preference like Linval Joseph, Dalvin Tomlinson, Michael Pierce, and current Viking, Harrison Phillips.
Finally, the decision-makers listened to the prayers of Skol Nation and hired not only one but two former Pro Bowlers who can get after the quarterback from the inside. Former Commanders defender Jonathan Allen signed a three-year deal, and Hargrave was acquired for two seasons.
The latter has had an excellent career, but he is 32 years old and coming off a lost season due to a partially torn triceps. Still, he’s an accomplished player, which is why the make-or-break label is a little odd.
However, Hargrave has played in 130 career games and registered 45.5 sacks along the way. The defensive lineman produced seasons with 52, 57, and 61 QB pressures between 2021 and 2023. To provide some context, each of those figures would place him above Andrew Van Ginkel, while he would only trail Jonathan Greenard on the 2024 Vikings.
More from Wasserman: “From 2021 to 2023, Hargrave ranked among the top four qualified defensive tackles in PFF pass-rush grade, pressure rate and pass-rush win rate.”
He is certainly an upgrade over departed Jonathan Bullard and Jerry Tillery and will be part of the three-man rotation with Allen and Phillips. Behind them, the club employs Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, and Taki Taimani, while rookie Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins could enter the mix, too.
Hargrave claimed a few days after his signing in March: “If you’ve got a defensive tackle who can pass rush and cause havoc, it’s a good thing for the defense. I think it really don’t matter no more if you’re smaller; they kind of look at the football player more than just looking at the size of the football player.”
2 better candidates for a make-or-break year
Jalen Nailor struggled with injuries early in his NFL career, but had a nice breakout season in 2024. He scored six times and snatched passes for over 400 yards. Now in the final year of his rookie contract, Nailor can cash in next year, but he needs to show that his play is sustainable. A potential Jordan Addison suspension could give him a chance to amass more targets.
Theo Jackson signed a three-year contract extension prior to free agency, and he is primed to enter the starting lineup now that Cam Bynum is no longer around. A year ago, the Vikings extended Blake Brandel’s contract and gave him the starting left guard spot. He failed to show enough to keep it beyond the 2024 campaign. Jackson has to be better to avoid another relegation to backup safety.
