The Vikings defensive line may still be without the talented Sharrif Floyd, a 2013 first-round pick, but the strength of last year’s third-ranked defense — the line — has more hands on deck to fill the void.
Due to offseason additions, one of the more difficult omissions in Matt Vensel’s early 53-man roster projection was Shamar Stephen, a former seventh-round pick who has been called into larger roles for injured teammates during his three NFL seasons.
Stephen and veteran pass rusher Tom Johnson filled critical roles after Floyd went down in September, but the Vikings added three new faces in free agents Datone Jones and Will Sutton as well as fourth-round pick Jaleel Johnson as insurance for the trenches.