Brian Flores, Vikings could have a special defense brewing in 2025

In Brian Flores' second season as coordinator last year, the Vikings ranked second in defensive DVOA and opponent EPA per play. If you prefer simpler stats, they were fifth in opponent scoring and tied for first in total takeaways. It was an incredible defensive performance from a veteran-laden group that took Flores' scheme to a new level in year two.

And yet, despite how high the bar was set, the 2025 version of the Vikings' defense looks even better than the 2024 edition.

Flores interviewed for a few head coaching vacancies but is back for a third season, which is huge. Players' comfort in his complex scheme grows every year — safety Josh Metellus said they're "about to hit Master's level at this point" — and Flores has continued to add all kinds of wrinkles.

And then there are the roster upgrades made possible by having a quarterback on a rookie contract. Last season, the Vikings' defense shined despite having a couple journeymen, Jihad Ward and Jerry Tillery, as their top two interior pass rushers next to Harrison Phillips. This year, those two have been replaced by former Pro Bowlers Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, who Minnesota shelled out to acquire in free agency. Allen and Hargrave are slightly older and coming off of injuries, but they're not very far removed from being among the best interior pressure-creators in the league.

On the edge of the defensive line, the Vikings have an All-Pro in Andrew Van Ginkel and a guy who probably should've been an All-Pro in Jonathan Greenard. They've also got Dallas Turner, who is drawing all kinds of breakout buzz heading into his second season. Between those three edge rushers and the three defensive tackles, this pass rush could be borderline unstoppable. You can't double team everyone.

The second and third levels of the defense have plenty of talent, too. At linebacker, you've got Blake Cashman running the show (in his second year with Flores) and Ivan Pace Jr. flying around like a madman. Metellus and Harrison Smith are back to lead the way at safety, and expectations are high for Theo Jackson as he steps into the void left by Camryn Bynum's departure. Cornerback could be pointed to as a question mark, but the Vikings brought back Pro Bowler Byron Murphy Jr. and have high hopes for newcomers Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah.

"I think this defense is gonna do special things," Metellus said. "It's still very early, but with the guys we've got, the depth we've got, I think the sky's the limit."

Through one week of training camp, the upside of the defense has been on full display. The first-team unit has caused all kinds of problems for both the first and second-team offenses, particularly with the pass rush up front. Everyone seems to be on the same page, including the newcomers.

"To think it's not even August yet and we're getting that type of cohesiveness among that first group defensively..." Kevin O'Connell said. "My expectations are very, very high for our defense."

There's depth, too. Young players like Jalen Redmond, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Gabe Murphy, Mekhi Blackmon, and Dwight McGlothern will push for snaps. Veteran backups like Eric Wilson and Tavierre Thomas have played a ton of football in their careers. One injury to a starter wouldn't cause the whole thing to unravel.

"We've got a really deep team," Metellus said. "I was looking at the depth chart today and I'm like 'golly, how is this guy last on the depth chart? He's a good player!' It's gonna be a fun year and I'm excited to see what we can figure out. We can throw out 11 guys any which way we want."

That's probably the most exciting part. Flores is a mad scientist who has more talent at his disposal than ever. There's no limit to the ways he can deploy his players or the looks he can cook up to confuse and attack opposing offenses. If everything goes to plan, this is going to be fun to watch.

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