The Vikings' defense has been the straw that stirs the drink for this franchise over the past couple of seasons. While everyone focuses on the play of the quarterback, Justin Jefferson, and Kevin O'Connell, Brian Flores has quietly built one of the best defenses in the NFL.
Pressure is the key for this defense, with so many new, young names being flexed into important roles. Despite that, folks in the media are still very confident in this unit to be able to produce and be one of the best in the NFL.
NFL Media's Gennaro Filice ranked the top 10 defenses in the NFL heading into Week 1. Within those rankings, the Vikings came in at the 6th spot. He explains, "So, why do the Vikings slot in here, just outside the top five? Well, there’s a reason
Brian Flores signed a contract extension back in January that reportedly made him one of the highest-paid coordinators in football: His aggressive scheme continues to scramble offensive brains. With Minnesota leading the league in blitz rate during each of his three seasons as the franchise’s DC, Flores has the mind of a menace. And until opponents make him pay, I embrace the chaos. Furthermore, OLB Dallas Turner seems poised for a Year 3 breakout. After a quiet rookie campaign in 2024, the former first-round pick really came into his own during the back half of last season, recording 6.5 of his eight sacks in the final eight weeks. . ."
The departures of Jonathan Greenard and a late returning Harrison Smith likely affected this ranking. However, if Dallas Turner and Jalen Redmond continue to ramp up their dveelopment then this is a ranking that could seem too low even with the teams that were ranked ahead of them.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: NFL Media ranks the Vikings defense in their top 10 for 2026
