Detroit Lions: NFC North interior defensive line preview
Minnesota Vikings
Key returning players: Linval Joseph, Jaleel Johnson
New additions: Shamar Stephen, Armon Watts (R)
Key losses: Sheldon Richardson
Under head coach Mike Zimmer, the Vikings have consistently fielded one of the most menacing and intimidating defensive fronts in the NFL for the last half decade. Despite some changes this offseason, that is unlikely to change in 2019.
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On the interior, Linval Joseph remains the leader. He will turn 31 this season, but he is a stout run defender and a favorite of Zimmer. He is also signed through 2022, and the Vikings have little in terms of competition behind him.
The Vikings brought in Sheldon Richardson last offseason to help provide more push up the middle and help support the Vikings’ electric edge rushers. He underperformed, and left to join the Cleveland Browns in March, his fourth team in four years.
To replace Richardson, Minnesota welcomes back Shamar Stephen, who spent last season with the Seattle Seahawks after starting his career with the Vikings.
Stephen doesn’t jump off the page in any one area, but he’s a solid role player, and a good fit up front along side the Vikings’ more notable players. His re-acclimation to the Vikings’ scheme should be seamless.
Jaleel Johnson will be one young player to keep an eye on from this unit. He has been largely ineffective in his first two NFL seasons, but he spent much of Vikings minicamp lining up in place of Joseph, who is recovering from shoulder surgery. With a strong training camp, Johnson could combine with Joseph and Stephen to give Minnesota a strong three-man rotation in the middle.