Brian Flores has Vikings' defense at top of the NFL with elite maneuvering from Kwesi Adofo-Mensah

Vikings defense thriving without any elite contracts

One of the biggest elements of the Vikings' success has been the defense. Brian Flores has them thriving and attacking offenses with a bevy of different blitzes and coverages. It's one of the best units in the NFL with this offseason

One of the intriguing parts about the Vikings' defense is how they are doing so with their investment in the unit. When talking about the word investment, it's relative to what they are paid and how much draft capital is put into it.

The Vikings finished the 2024 season fifth in total defense while being second against the run. It's an impressive group of players, but what's more impressive about it is the lack of high-end contracts. The Vikings don't have a single defensive contract in the top 10 of average annual value.

They do have a few that are close to the top 10

• EDGE Jonathan Greenard: $19 million (13th)
• DT Jonathan Allen: $17 million (T-17th)
  
• CB Byron Murphy Jr.: $18 million (T-14th)

The reality of the Vikings' defensive structure tells us that it's more about the sum of its parts rather than building around a singular player. That strategy has been huge in building out their elite unit.

It's not like the Vikings aren't spending a lot on the defensive side of the football. Before factoring in the contract of Harrison Smith (we are still waiting on details), the Vikings have dedicated $116,471,367 of their salary cap to the defense compared to $127,619,217 on offense per Over The Cap. 

Instead of prioritizing stars, the Vikings are trying to find pieces to the puzzle, and it's working really well. Taking that approach is a good one as a whole, but it also doesn't mean the Vikings won't pay an elite player. They just won't overpay players, which is why they didn't sign either Milton Williams or Christian Wilkins to their high-priced contracts.