Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins is a player many believe the Vikings will be counting on to make a leap this season. He is moving into more of a hybrid role for Minnesota this season, and the hope is for him to develop into a key chess piece for Brian Flores to deploy at multiple spots along the defensive front.
However, not everyone is buying stock in the Ingram-Dawkins market. VikingsOnSI’s Trevor Ripley named the second-year defensive lineman as a surprising cut candidate ahead of the team’s final preseason matchup against the Denver Broncos.
“The Vikings have two established starters in Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel, and an impressive rookie in Jake Golday,” Ripley wrote. “Still, it’s clear the Vikings could use another seasoned veteran down the depth chart in case injuries rear their ugly heads. Ingram-Dawkins has been more a bit of a jack-of-all-trades and master of none this summer, and Minnesota may opt for someone with a pure edge background.”
Hybrid players often become stigmatized by the media, and there’s often a good reason for that. ‘Tweeners’ usually don’t have ideal size or the requisite skills to play a set position, so they move around the formation to unlock their potential. Historically, it doesn’t go well.
However, players often rise above that status when they have a coach who knows how to get the most out of them. We have yet to see that come to with Ingram-Dawkins, but defensive coordinator Brian Flores is one of the best in the business. If anyone could get the most out of a player with Ingram-Dawkins ‘ skill set, he’d be the guy.
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins Is Expected To Play A Key Role On Brian Flores’ DefenseMinnesota’s hyper-aggressive defensive style could allow him to get creative with the second-year defensive lineman. He could hold his own on the edge on early downs (to keep either Dallas Turner or Andrew Van Ginkel fresh) before moving to the interior in sub packages. With their lack of an impact third edge rusher, Ingram-Dawkins could play a key role there.
Flores also couldn’t hide his excitement when speaking to the media about the 23-year-old on Tuesday.
“I like his approach to the game,” Flores said. “There’s a focus, there’s an attention to detail, there’s an urgency whether he’s playing outside on the edge, whether he’s playing on the inside, there’s an urgency to do it right, and help the team in any way. I think he’s taken a big leap from a professional standpoint from year one to year two.”
He later added, “Then the play on the field has been very good as well. We’re putting a lot on his plate, and he’s able to execute at a pretty good level.”
His Role Could Still Be In Trouble If They Add Another Edge RusherWhile I ultimately don’t think Ingram-Dawkins has a high likelihood of getting axed, I’m also not confident that he will play a key role on the Vikings’ defense. Barring injury, it really depends on whether they add another viable edge rusher.
A few quality edge rushers have yet to put pen to paper. Minnesota was actually named an ideal fit for two of them, Leonard Floyd and Kyle Van Noy, last week.
If the Vikings add another quality defensive end, then the 2025 fifth-round selection would promptly tumble down the depth chart. He would still see some action as a rotational player on the interior, but there’s a ceiling there, and he’d be unlikely to reach it. Still, barring a shocker, his roster spot should be set in stone, in my opinion.
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