The Minnesota Vikings are taking a major gamble in the 2025 season. After 14 wins and a fringe MVP-caliber season from Sam Darnold, reigning Coach of the Year Kevin O’Connell decided to push through with last year’s first-round pick, J.J. McCarthy, as the new quarterback in town.
However, to ensure the team doesn’t suffer a major setback in McCarthy’s first year as a starter, the rest of the roster needs to be top-notch. For one analyst, that means making a critical move before the offseason is over to fix a key area of need in Minnesota.
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For the most part, the Vikings have an excellent roster all around. At all three levels of the field, their roster is virtually untouchable. Here are their ranks on PFSN’s Defense+, Offense+, and OL+ metrics:
- Defense+ metric: 3rd.
- Offense+ metric: 13th
- OL+ metric: 9th
But there is one particular position where the team is struggling. The edge rusher spot saw some movement with the loss of Patrick Jones II. The Vikings didn’t replace him with any noticeable name in free agency or the 2025 NFL Draft.
As a result, Aaron Schatz of ESPN believes it is the biggest position that needs more depth going into the 2025 season. Breaking down their current depth chart, he wrote, “The Vikings are set with their starting edge rushers, Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel.”
Beyond them, “They have 2024 first-round pick Dallas Turner waiting in the wings. And then after that, well … who is Bo Richter?” Schatz answered his own question, referring to the undrafted free agent entering his second year with a total of 29 defensive snaps to his name.
As a result, in his list of final offseason moves for each franchise, Scahtz wants Minnesota to sign veteran edge rusher Matthew Judon, who is coming off a disappointing 2024 campaign with the Atlanta Falcons.
Proposing one final offseason move for each #NFL team, @ASchatzNFL noted that the @Vikings should sign EDGE Matthew Judon.
Yay or nay???
(Via: @ESPN) pic.twitter.com/gburlrjbOA
— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) June 26, 2025
“Judon had a disappointing 2024 season with just 5.5 sacks for the Falcons, and he seems to be on the decline (he turns 33 in August). Still, he can get after the passer, and some reps as a backup might really rejuvenate his career.”
A former fifth-round pick, Judon earned a starting role and made four consecutive Pro Bowls beginning in 2019. Now 33, he is on the last legs of his career, but he could provide valuable snaps as a backup for the Vikings.
With the barren depth chart of the Minnesota roster, there might not be a better choice available on the free-agent market than Judon.