Vikings’ Jonathan Greenard Dominating Training Camp

Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard has been a nightmare for blockers in training camp this summer. During one drill, he burst past multiple blockers so quickly that coaches blew the whistle before rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy could even look downfield.

“We call him the closer,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “How many times have we seen him win a one-on-one, or even with help from the back or the tight end, and he just wins and ends the drill?”

Carrying Momentum from 2024

Greenard’s camp performance is a continuation of his breakout 2024 season. After posting the message “More is Required” on social media following the Vikings’ playoff loss in January, he’s been showing exactly what that means.

“It takes a lot of humility to just say, ‘Hey, I’m ready to learn today,'” Greenard told ESPN. “I’m trying to learn something every single day so I can just build up on my game, so that nobody can stop me. They may know I do a certain move, but I may have added something else to the move that they’ve never seen before. And at that point, you’re balling.”

The “Closer” Effect

In 2024, Greenard earned his first Pro Bowl after joining the Vikings as a free agent. He got his “Closer” nickname by making big plays late in games — six of his 12 sacks and nine of his 18 tackles for loss came in the fourth quarter or overtime. Those numbers ranked third and second in the NFL. His clutch plays helped the Vikings finish 9-1 in one-score games.

Becoming More Than a Pass Rusher

Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has challenged Greenard to grow even more. The two have discussed ways Greenard can help his teammates succeed. One example is choosing his pass-rush moves so he doesn’t disrupt a defensive tackle’s path.

“That’s just about understanding where I can take my moves and realizing that it could lock him up and not let him play free, depending on what I do,” Greenard said. “So anytime that I could just make other guys play comfortably and free, while I’m still doing my thing on the outside, that’s the main thing we’re speaking on.

“Last year was my first year getting used to this system, so now I have a better understanding when I can be aggressive and then add on the ways I can set other people up.”

Improving in Coverage

Flores’ defense also requires linebackers to drop into coverage. Greenard admits he made mistakes last year, such as losing track of Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs on a wheel route in Week 7 — a play that set up Detroit’s winning field goal.

Greenard dropped into coverage on 64 snaps last season, second-most among players with 10 or more sacks. The only player ahead of him was teammate Andrew Van Ginkel (115). For comparison, other top pass rushers averaged about 24 coverage snaps.

Chasing a Higher Level

Many players focus on improvement after a bad year, but Greenard is pushing to get even better after a great one.

“Each year I just continue to just learn something,” he said. “You might feel like you know it all every single year — until you have another year and another year under your belt. I always say it’s good to be punched in the mouth at times, to make you go back to the drawing board and make you understand why you love this stuff.

“So I feel like I can take this thing as far as God will let me. I have a lot left in the tank.”