The Minnesota Vikings boast one of the league’s best defenses. They’ve allowed the fewest points (14.5 per game) and the second-fewest yards (280 per game) in the NFL.
While they might not boast many big names on the defensive side of the ball, they’ve been far greater than the sum of their parts. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ ultra-aggressive scheme has consistently overwhelmed opposing offenses over the first half of the season.
They’ve had a few huge performances from under-the-radar defenders over the first half of the season. Likewise, their quality play on special teams has helped carry the weight of a sub-par offense. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell cultivated his midseason All-Pro predictions for the 2026 campaign, and four Vikings made the list.
The group included two players from Minnesota’s defense, linebacker Blake Cashman and cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., and two from their special teams unit, kicker Will Reichard and returner Myles Price. Price and Cashman both earned first-team honors in the prediction, while Reichard and Murphy Jr. received second-team honors.
The craziest aspect of the prediction was that two players worthy of the recognition were snubbed…
Dallas Turner And Andrew Van Ginkel Were Snubbed On Barnwell’s All-Pro List
There’s little doubt whether Murphy and Cashman deserve the recognition. The former is tied for third in the NFL with 4 interceptions while also being strong in coverage, and the latter has stuffed the stat sheets like few others have at the linebacker position. He has 76 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 7 pass deflections.
However, the list didn’t include two of Minnesota’s best defensive players: edge rushers Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner. Van Ginkel’s 7.5 sacks are tied for the fourth-most, while Turner’s 7 rank ninth. Sure, Flores’ blitz-heavy approach has inflated both of those numbers, but they still deserve credit for winning one-on-one matchups.
The one factor that could prevent them from All-Pro recognition is how saturated the league is with elite edge rushers. Quite a few players will get snubbed when the official All-Pro teams are announced.
The Vikings Have A Few Tough Decisions To Make This Offseason
Two of Barnwell’s All-Pro predictions for Minnesota, Murphy and Cashman, are playing out the final year of their contract. Meanwhile, the other two players he mentioned, Price and Reichard, will be entering the final year of their deals next season.
On top of that, Van Ginkel is also set to hit free agency this offseason. Meanwhile, Turner is entering the final year of his rookie contract next season (although they’ll probably accept his fifth-year option for 2028).
They’ll also have difficult decisions to make on Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, Jalen Redmond, Isaiah Rodgers, and T.J. Hockenson, all slated to hit free agency. Nolan Teasley has his work cut out for him this offseason, as next year’s squad will almost certainly look very different from its current roster.
The Vikings will worry about those problems in the offseason, though. Right now, they’re focused on making a potential Super Bowl run in the wide-open NFC. They’ll continue leaning on their key contributors they hope will help get them there.
Four Minnesota Vikings Highlighted As Midseason All-Pro Candidates