The Vikings traded former Pro Bowl defensive end, Za’Darius Smith to the Cleveland Browns, along with a 6th and 7th-round pick in exchange for two 5th-round picks. Za’Darius Smith was a big part of the Vikings’ success in the DL last year, and now that he’s gone, who’s going to step up and take his place?
The most logical answer would be Marcus Davenport, who signed with the Vikings at the beginning of free agency. However, with Davenport on one side of the line, and Danielle Hunter being used as an OLB every now and then, it shines some opportunity on DJ Wonnum, a defensive end who has shown immense amounts of promise and skill throughout his 3 years in the NFL.
A 4th round pick by the Vikings in 2020 out of South Carolina, it looked like Wonnum might not be with the Vikings long, as he had to backup Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter, 2 players that had just come off of a great season in 2019, and were one of the best edge duos in the NFL. Wonnum would end up backing up the entire season, recording 3 sacks, 5 TFLs, and 24 tackles.
Wonnum however, would break out in his sophomore season. With Danielle Hunter going out for the season with an injury, Wonnum seized this golden opportunity to show the coaches he had what it took to line up beside Hunter in future years. Wonnum would record 8 sacks, 7 TFLs, and 47 tackles, with one of his sacks coming in the final seconds against the Green Bay Packers, where Wonnum would also force a fumble, leading to a Vikings recovery to win the game.
Coming into the 2022-2023 NFL Season, Wonnum looked poised to be the defensive end across from Danielle Hunter. However, the Vikings went out and got Za’Darius Smith from free agency, once again making Wonnum a backup. In 2022, Wonnum would record 4 sacks, 5 TFLs, and 38 tackles. Wonnum still had great momentum throughout the season, but not being given the proper chances limited his chances to show his potential to the coaching staff.
Now, with Smith gone, Wonnum can prove that he is that guy to line up beside Danielle Hunter. If Wonnum out performs Marcus Davenport in training camp and preseason, there’s a good chance that he could get the starting job. Davenport has also had issues with injuries in the past, which could give Wonnum an opportunity if Davenport were to get injured sometime in the season.
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