Tershawn Wharton would firmly fall into that bucket if he were not a multiple-time Super Bowl champion.
The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of cap space, but they also have a lot of pending free agents they must consider retaining. Minnesota has the most “outgoing” 2024 snaps in the league, with players like Byron Murphy Jr, Cam Bynum, and Harrison Smith, among others, set to hit free agency.
Therefore, players like Milton Williams and Osa Odighizuwa may have priced themselves out of Minnesota, especially if bidding wars ensue like the Christian Wilkins sweepstakes last season. The price tag of premium free-agent defensive tackles relative to other positions has skyrocketed in the last couple of offseasons. It is now a much better value proposition to draft three-down players on the interior.
If the Vikings shy away from the top-tier interior defenders in free agency, given the depth of the position in the draft (41 defensive tackles were invited to the NFL Combine), Wharton could be an intriguing rotational option. The best pass rushes in the league have great depth, and Wharton would provide that while competing for multiple roles with incumbent players.
