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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 23: Head coach Kevin O'Connell (R) of the Minnesota Vikings congratulates head coach Jim Harbaugh (L) of the Los Angeles Chargers after the game at SoFi Stadium on October 23, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

The Minnesota Vikings finally cut bait with edge rusher Jonathan Greenard during the 2026 NFL Draft.

On Day 2 of the event, the Vikings sent him to the Eagles in exchange for 3rd round selections in 2026 and 2027. And just like that, Dallas Turner became a starting edge rusher.

This transaction did cause a bit of a problem, though. The Vikings now don’t have the pass-rushing depth they had when Greenard was on the team. With Turner going from third option to starter, Minnesota may have to take a dip into the edge market.

Thankfully, there is a 3-time Pro Bowler and former All-Pro waiting on a call regarding his next opportunity.

Vikings Urged to Take a Look Into Jadeveon Clowney

AtoZ Sports contributor Tyler Forness recently threw an idea into the hat for the Vikings in Jadeveon Clowney.

“Right now, the Vikings don’t have a replacement for Dallas Turner. While Turner is going to be taking over for Jonathan Greenard, they don’t have anyone to replace the EDGE3 role. 500 snaps, 30-35 pressures, and 4-6 sacks per year. That’s something you can realistically get from an EDGE3.

Clowney is the exact type of player to give you that kind of production, and he can possibly give you even more. Having turned 33 on Valentine’s Day, Clowney played just 372 snaps for the Dallas Cowboys and earned 40 pressures and 8.5 sacks. His size, length, power, and explosiveness are plenty good enough to be a starter, let alone the first guy off the bench.

Having made less than $3.5 million in 2025, the Vikings may be able to get him at a reasonable price.”

Clowney, former 2014 1st overall selection to the Houston Texans, has made his way around the league. Since he left Houston in 2018, he’s had stints with six other franchises.

• Seattle Seahawks (2019)
• Tennessee Titans (2020)
• Cleveland Browns (2021-2022)
• Baltimore Ravens (2023)
• Carolina Panthers (2024)
• Dallas Cowboys (2025)

There’s no reason to assume he wouldn’t want to add another team to that list.

Minnesota’s 2025 Win-Streak May Cost Them Big in 2026

The Vikings winning 5 in a row to end the year is objectively a good thing. However, they might’ve cost themselves in 2026.

With the win-streak, they took their draft pick from top 10 all the way down to 18th overall. With how the draft shook out, it was the difference between Caleb Banks and Caleb Downs. At the end of the day, though, it’s unfair to say that they’ve cost themselves anything in regard to the draft since we simply haven’t seen the kids play yet.

The Vikings also made their schedule for 2026 harder, albeit on paper. The Vikings took 3rd place in the NFC North from the Detroit Lions, who fell to last. They now may benefit from an easier schedule.

Jonathan Harrison from Sports Illustrated explained.

“The Lions have the same schedule, except that instead of third-place opponents, they got the fourth-place opponents from the NFC East, NFC West, and AFC South. This means the Vikings will take on the Commanders, Colts, and 49ers this season, while the Lions get the Titans, Giants, and Cardinals.

That’s a difference of 25 combined wins in 2025 for the Vikings’ set of fellow third-place teams, as opposed to 10 combined wins in 2025 for the Lions’ fourth-place opponents.”

The Vikings won’t let this hold them back on their journey for a Lombardi Trophy. They have missed out on the easiest schedule in the NFL, but you can’t really be mad at an NFL team for trying to win the few games they play.