Minnesota Vikings: 3 Early breakout candidates on defense in 2020

These Minnesota Vikings are primed to break out on defense in the 2020 season.

Even though the 2020 NFL season hasn’t begun yet, the Minnesota Vikings are already looking different on the defensive side of the ball. Over the past few seasons, Minnesota has been one of the more dominant defenses in the league while ranking near the top of the NFL in multiple categories within that defensive unit.

But this offseason, the Vikings have seen a large amount of turnover on defense and within multiple positions, seeing some key contributors from 2019 and seasons prior leave the team via free agency or other avenues leading up to the new year.

With a new defensive coordinator set to take over and the likes of cornerbacks Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes, defensive end Everson Griffen and others absent from the team this year, there will be some new contributors stepping into starting roles for the purple and gold in 2020.

As Minnesota tries to return to the playoffs this season after reaching the NFC Divisional Round a year ago, it will have some new faces that it will insert in from lower on the depth chart or following its selections in the NFL Draft.

The Vikings will still have some key players anchoring the defense this season, including defensive end Danielle Hunter, linebackers Erik Kendricks and Anthony Barr and others, but there is no questioning we will see a different look to this defense in 2020.

With Minnesota bringing in some fresh new faces on defense and moving some pieces up in the depth chart ahead of the new year, there are a few players that could see breakout campaigns this year in Minneapolis.

With the regular-season schedule set and the season getting closer to beginning, let’s take a look at three players on the defensive side of the ball that could be poised to have breakout seasons and Vikings fans could end up seeing much more of during the 2020 season.