When the Minnesota Vikings spent two draft picks before the end of Round 3 on defensive tackles Caleb Banks (Round 1) and Domonique Orange (Round 3) in April, the short-term trajectory for second-year lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins did not seem ideal. But that was then, and this is now.
The Vikings may need an extra outside linebacker for the regular season depth chart, and for the time being, all signs point to Ingram-Dawkins as a serious contender.
Why Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins Could Become Minnesota’s OLB3
The Vikings Still Need a Third Outside Linebacker
On April 24th, 2026, Minnesota ended the Jonathan Greenard experiment after two seasons, shipping him via trade to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Vikings received two 3rd-Round picks, the first used on safety Jakobe Thomas from Miami and the next in the chamber for 2027. Most fans were ho-hum on the deal — what’s the perk of trading the team’s best defensive player to a franchise known for shrewd, successful deal-making? Nobody knows.
Now, the Vikings may need an extra EDGE defender after Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner, both of whom are in line to start in September.
Fast forward to minicamp and OTAs, and Ingram-Dawkins was deployed more as an outside linebacker than a defensive tackle. He told the media in May, “I just cleaned up my body a lot in the offseason. I mean, I’m still 280 pounds. Why was it important to clean up your body? You know, just trying to make a big, big jump from my last year. You know, I feel like that was one of the things that I could work on in my game. You know, developing a core and all that, that’ll help me in my techniques with all the versatile positions that I’m playing across the line.”
“The main focus was to just clean up my body. You know, I feel like that could only help me with how versatile I’m using, I’m being used across the line with all positions. You know, I just feel like I can play all around the line and wherever they wanna plug me and play me. That’s, I’m gonna just put my all into that.”
If Ingram-Dawkins does not blast off as a meaningful OLB contributor, Minnesota must use rookie Jake Golday, who was drafted as an off-ball linebacker, promote a veteran like OLB Bo Richter, or sign a free agent like Jadeveon Clowney.
But it could really be as simple as flipping Ingram-Dawkins to EDGE as an OLB3.
Ingram-Dawkins’s Versatility Is the Point
When Ingram-Dawkins first joined the club, former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah mentioned his DT-OLB utility: “Versatility is something that we crave for our defense, and he stuck out as somebody who’s able to do that label, to kind of set the edge working outside in, and then in the rush game, has some ability to win over the guard with a unique skill set.”
“It’s not refined yet, but there’s some stuff in there that’s pretty unique. We think that he’s an incredibly intelligent player, and his best football is in front of him, and we think he’s going to achieve that best football in this building.”
Adofo-Mensah used the phrase “not refined yet.” Perhaps that refinement is now after a year of learning defensive coordinator Brian Flores’s system.
The Plan when Vikings Drafted Him?
Maybe — just maybe — the Vikings planned for this. Adofo-Mensah’s comments serve as early evidence of an eventual position change. Some considered the Greenard trade reckless, but there’s a world where Vikings coaches have known for months that Ingram-Dawkins would indeed shift to OLB.
Too, let’s face it: Minnesota has signed no free-agent OLBs as of mid-July, and Golday was the only attempt at drafting one with OLB utility.
Minnesota’s 2025 draft war room could’ve had a mantra: “We’ll draft this guy today, play him at DT as a rookie, and he’s ready for it, hit him his OLB marching orders next year.” If Ingram-Dawkins can handle rotational EDGE snaps while remaining available inside, Minnesota could effectively fill two depth-chart needs with one roster spot.
Training Camp Not Far Away for the Reveal
Rookies report to Eagan on July 26th — so about a week and a half from the time of this article’s publication. Veterans follow a couple of days later. Fans join the fun on August 1st.
Ingram-Dawkins’ position won’t be a mystery for long. As with OTAs and minicamp, onlookers will either see him practicing with the OLBs, or he’ll remain with the DTs.
A productive version of Ingram-Dawkins would make Flores’s life much easier during Life After Greenard. Don’t forget: Ingram-Dawkins played 250 defensive snaps in 2025 — a lot for a rookie 5th-Rounder and a colossal amount for any Vikings rookie from the last four years.
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VikesNow Verdict: Minnesota might not have to choose between using Ingram-Dawkins as an inside or outside player. If he can handle both roles, he could become the Vikings’ third EDGE rusher and provide the coaching staff with valuable flexibility as they finalize the 53-man roster.
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