What Jordan Hicks is bringing to Minnesota

 The Minnesota Vikings signed veteran linebacker Jordan Hicks to a two-year deal worth $10M earlier this offseason. The former Philadelphia Eagle and Arizona Cardinal was one of the underrated signings of the 2022 offseason. Hicks brings a lot to the table, both on the field and in the locker room. First-year Head Coach Kevin O'Connell should be very excited about what he has in his defense this Fall, especially in the middle with his talented linebackers.

What the Vikings are getting Jordan Hicks is exactly what any team wants first and foremost in an NFL defender. They are getting a tackling machine. In his last three seasons, Hicks has recorded tackling totals of 150, 118, and 116. The 150 tackles in 2019 are absolutely mind-boggling. In 2021 with Arizona, he set career-highs in QB pressures (8) and sacks (4). The former Texas Longhorn can fly from sideline to sideline. He can play all over the field, which will be very useful for new Vikings Defensive Coordiantor Mike Pettine. The soon-to-be eight-year veteran has started in every game each of his last three seasons. He brings Super Bowl experience with him. He was a part of the 2017 Eagles team that upset the New England Patriots. That game was coincidentally played in U.S. Bank Stadium. Who plays there? The Minnesota Vikings. So, the Colorado native is very familiar with the area. 

He will pair extremely nicely with other Vikings All-Pro MLB Eric Kendricks, who is coming off his own career-high season in tackles and sacks. The Minnesota defense will have a lot of range and a lot of experience. Six-time Pro Bowl safety Harrison Smith, eight-time Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson, and All-Pro edge-rushers Za'Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter headline a very solid defense that should be a top 10 unit this season. The addition of Hicks will only further that sentiment. It won't get a lot of love now during one of the craziest offseasons in NFL history. But by seasons end, there should be a lot of people praising first-year GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.