The 40 Most Important Vikings of 2026: No. 28 — Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins

Minnesota Vikings training camp is in full bloom, and VikesNow is counting down the most important players on the roster heading into 2026. The first regular season game is about six weeks away. At No. 29, TE2 Josh Oliver earned placement, and now it’s back to the defense for DT-OLB Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins.

The second-year defender could be deployed as a hybrid pass rusher and run stuffer, increasing his value on a team that needs pass-rushing oomph.

Ingram-Dawkins Could Have a New Role in 2026

Ingram-Dawkins’s Role in 2026

Ingram-Dawkins might have one of the mysterious summer outlooks of the Vikings’ entire roster. Why? Well, when the club drafted him from Georgia in 2025, his scouting report claimed he could play defensive tackle and perhaps outside linebacker in the proper system. But as a rookie, Ingram-Dawkins saw action on the defensive line’s interior – – he was a defensive tackle.

In the spring, Ingram-Dawkins personally teased a conversion to outside linebacker, basically telling reporters he can do both. “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,” Ingram-Dawkins said in June.

“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.”

Right now, if Ingram-Dawkins is serious about crossing over into the OLB room, Minnesota needs more EDGE depth than DT bodies.

“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,” he added.

Training camp and the first depth chart will reveal whether Ingram-Dawkins is used more as a DT or OLB.

What Success Looks Like

Ingram-Dawkins’s success largely lies in his ability to switch to OLB. For context, the Vikings just drafted two defensive tackles before the end of Round 3 in April: Caleb Banks in Round 1 and Domonique Orange in Round 3. The club has big plans for those men, and Ingram-Dawkins probably won’t keep them sidelined.

The Vikings also employ Jalen Redmond, the team’s main undercover gem, and he plays defensive tackle.

But for EDGE rushers, the Vikings’ depth is skimpy. It’s Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner, and then undrafted talent like Bo Richter, Tyler Batty, and Chaz Chambliss. Ingram-Dawkins can make a name for himself by securing the OLB3 job and becoming the Vikings’ third option at EDGE behind Van Ginkel and Turner.

What Could Make This Ranking Look Too Low – – or Too High

This ranking will be too high for the young defender if Minnesota does not flip him to OLB, and he becomes buried on the DT depth chart behind Redmond, Banks, Orange, and others. The fourth or fifth DT on a roster usually doesn’t rank No. 28 on most important player lists.

On the other hand, if Ingram-Dawkins secures the OLB3 job and makes it his own, the No. 28 ranking will seem spot-on or too low. For example, consider D.J. Wonnum and Patrick Jones II from recent Vikings teams. Those men were vital after Danielle Hunter and Marcus Davenport in 2023.

Ingram-Dawkins’ trajectory boils down to this: a 5th-round depth DT or Minnesota’s new OLB3?

Next in the Countdown

The countdown is 30% complete. Here’s a look at the order to date.

At No. 27, rookie linebacker Jake Golday makes an appearance, Minnesota’s 2nd-rounder from Cincinnati. No one is too sure if he’ll play right away, but his upside shoves him close to the Top 25.

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VikesNow Verdict: Ingram-Dawkins probably won’t become a household name in 2026, but versatility could make him far more important than a typical 5th-round depth piece. If Minnesota really lets him work at outside linebacker, he has a pathway to becoming the Vikings’ third EDGE option.
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About The Author

Dustin Baker

Dustin Baker is the co-founder and editor of VikesNow, a novelist, a writer at CBS Sports, and a political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders, is out now, along with his debut thriller, The Motor Route. He hosts VikesNow on YouTube and has followed the Minnesota Vikings intently since 1996. Guilty pleasures include peanut butter ice cream, The Sopranos, Basset Hounds, and The Doors.

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