After trading away Jonathan Greenard during the NFL draft a couple weeks ago, the Vikings find themselves light on depth at the outside linebacker position. That’s an important area they may want to address with a veteran free agent.
The Vikings have a strong starting duo in Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner but not much behind them, even if you consider versatile second-round rookie Jake Golday an OLB in the Van Ginkel mold. Every other edge defender on the roster is a current or former undrafted free agent, with guys like Bo Richter and Tyler Batty next in line for snaps.
The good news is that there are still a handful of players on the market who could help. The Vikings freed up a decent chunk of cap space when they traded Greenard, and they may want to use that money on a rotational edge player in addition to signing a No. 3 wide receiver. They might not pay up for someone like Joey Bosa or Cameron Jordan, but here are five other players who should be relatively affordable and could make a lot of sense for Minnesota.
Leonard FloydAge: 34 in SeptemberPrevious team: Falcons2025 stats: 3.5 sacks, 5 TFL, 36 pressures in 15 games
Leonard Floyd | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Floyd was the 9th overall pick by the Bears out of Georgia back in 2016. He’s never been a Pro Bowler but has had a strong ten-year career in the NFL. After four years in Chicago, he had the three best years of his career with the Rams from 2020-22. He’s since played one season each with the Bills, 49ers, and Falcons. Floyd has 70 career sacks, and last season snapped a streak of five straight years with at least 8.5 of them.
He’s now in his mid-30s, but Floyd has never had a season with fewer than 36 QB pressures. He’s consistent and remarkably durable, having missed a total of two games in the past eight seasons. Floyd overlapped with Kevin O’Connell in LA for two seasons and would be a big addition for the Vikings if they can get him on something like a one-year, $8 million deal.
Jadeveon ClowneyAge: 33Previous team: Cowboys2025 stats: 8.5 sacks, 40 pressures, 12 TFL, 4 PD in 13 games
Jadeveon Clowney | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Another big name the Vikings could potentially pursue is Clowney, the former No. 1 overall pick now heading into his 13th NFL season. He was a three-time Pro Bowler with the Texans who has since become a journeyman edge rusher for hire, suiting up for six teams (SEA, TEN, CLE, BAL, CAR, DAL) in the last seven seasons. He has 66.5 sacks, 120 total TFL, 36 pass breakups, and 16 forced fumbles in his career.
Clowney was a free agent last year until signing a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Cowboys in mid-September. He proceeded to rack up 8.5 sacks and 40 pressures in just 372 defensive snaps. Clowney has had a PFF grade above 70 in 10 of the last 11 seasons and racked up a career-high 71 pressures just three years ago with the Ravens. He figures to make at least double what he made last year in 2026.
A.J. EpenesaAge: 28 in SeptemberPrevious team: Bills2025 stats: 2.5 sacks, 28 pressures, 4 PD, 2 INT in 16 games
A.J. Epenesa | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Epenesa has spent the last six seasons with the Bills, who drafted him 54th overall out of Iowa in 2020. He’s a big edge defender at 6’6″ and 260 pounds, making him more of a defensive end than an outside linebacker. He started somewhat slow in his first two seasons but then had 6 or 6.5 sacks in three straight years from 2022-24.
Epenesa seems like a good bet to give someone 450-500 snaps, 25-35 pressures, and 3-6 sacks in 2026. He also has four interceptions and five forced fumbles over the past four years. He may be obtainable for around $5-6 million per year.
Von MillerAge: 37Previous team: Commanders2025 stats: 9 sacks, 36 pressures in 17 games
Von Miller | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
Miller, a future Hall of Famer and one of the greatest pass rushers of his era, is still getting it done at a high level. The second overall pick in 2011 is coming off a 9-sack season as a 36-year-old playing his 14th year in the NFL. He made eight Pro Bowls and seven All-Pro teams and won a Super Bowl MVP in his first nine seasons for the Broncos. He then won another Super Bowl after the Rams traded for him in 2021, so O’Connell has seen his impact up close.
Miller spent 2022-24 with the Bills before signing a one-year, $6 million deal (plus incentives) with Washington last year. He went on to lead the Commanders in sacks. Miller is the NFL’s active leader with 138.5 sacks, which places him 13th on the all-time leaderboard. He’s no longer an every-down player, but he appears to have some gas left in the tank as a pass-rush specialist. Miller could help the Vikings and would be quite the mentor for Turner.
Kyle Van NoyAge: 35Previous team: Ravens2025 stats: 2 sacks, 27 pressures, 4 TFL, 1 INT, 4 PD in 15 games
Kyle Van Noy | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Van Noy has had an excellent 12-year career since being drafted 40th overall by the Lions in 2014. He didn’t do much in Detroit but broke out after being traded to the Patriots during his third season. Van Noy became a key piece for New England and won Super Bowls after the 2016 and 2018 seasons. He also had stints with the Dolphins and Chargers before spending the last three seasons in Baltimore, where he played some of the best football of his career. Van Noy made his first Pro Bowl at age 33 after recording a career-high 12.5 sacks in 2024.
One reason he’s worth mentioning here is that Van Noy overlapped with Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores in New England from 2016-18 and then again in Miami in 2020. Could the two link up one more time in Minnesota?
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