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Minnesota Vikings' concern level at each position group on defense | Sporting News

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Minnesota Vikings' concern level at each position group on defense | Sporting News


The Minnesota Vikings were really good on defense in the 2023 season.

They went from 31st in total defense to 17th along with being 13th in scoring defense. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has been a revelation for the defense in maximizing the depleted roster.

Even with the holes, there is still a lot to like. They made some major additions to the roster on defense this offseason, especially at edge rusher and linebacker. Those moves will end up making things a little bit easier for the Vikings to take a step forward.

Even with the optimism, there are still some reasons to be concerned. How much should we be concerned at each position on defense?

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Vikings’ concern level at each defensive position

Edge rusher: 3/10

The Vikings finally feel like they have quality depth at edge rusher for the first time in a while. Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel are going to be not just dependable as the starters, but it will also allow rookie Dallas Turner to grow and develop. With Van Ginkel still nursing a foot injury going into mandatory minicamp, it gives Turner a lot of extra valuable reps.

The back end of the room also has really intriguing players. Pat Jones II is a quality EDGE4 and both Andre Carter II and Gabriel Murphy have some really intriguing potential. The only thing that would derail this group is injuries.

Defensive line: 10/10

This is a five-alarm fire for the Vikings. It was so rough last year that defensive coordinator Brian Flores used a lot of three edge rusher and seven defensive back sets. That could be the case again this year. Greenard has the length to play a 4i/5T which will make a difference but only Harrison Phillips is a good player. 

Outside of Phillips, it’s brutal. Jerry Tillery is a former first-round pick who hasn’t done anything of note in his career. Jonathan Bullard is a fine but rotational player at this point in his career. The one thing that looks intriguing is Jaquelin Roy in year two. He was a fifth-round pick in 2023 but was projected at one point to be a first round pick.

This is going to be a major point of emphasis in the 2025 offseason but it could end up being the reason the Vikings don’t have much success in 2024.

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Inside linebacker: 5/10

This is a solid group! Blake Cashman provides you the do-it-all linebacker that the Vikings needed so much last season. It also allows Ivan Pace Jr., who was a revelation as a rookie, to focus more on the things that make him such a unique and talented player.

The intrigue is with the depth. Brian Asamoah II is a major wild card. He struggles with being consistent as a tackler despite being very explosive as a defender. Kamu Grugier-Hill is a special teamer at this point in his career. That could leave a spot open for an intriguing rookie UDFA in either Dallas Gant or Bo Richter.

Cornerback: 8/10

This is so high not because of the talent in the room, but because there isn’t any true consistency. The only reliable player has been Byron Murphy Jr. Mekhi Blackmon, Akayleb Evans and Andrew Booth Jr. have varying levels of consistency but it’s been rough at times with all of them. Khyree Jackson and Shaquill Griffin are both intriguing additions to the room, but it desperately needs someone to step up and be either an alpha or just consistent.

Safety: 3/10

Let’s be real. This is the best safety room in the National Football League. Camryn Bynum, Josh Metellus and Harrison Smith are a great trio. They all played over 90% of the snaps in 2023 and thrived in doing so. 

Theo Jackson and Jay Ward are also really talented players who have potential and the former seems to be playing well by all accounts. Then you have Lewis Cine, who has all the talent in the world but hasn’t been able to put it together and could end up being cut or traded this August.

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Make sure to check out our home page every day for the best and latest Minnesota Vikings news and analysis.



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Trump makes changes on the ground in Minnesota and doctors break with the CDC: Morning Rundown

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Trump makes changes on the ground in Minnesota and doctors break with the CDC: Morning Rundown


In today’s newsletter: Some Trump administration advisers and allies say the optics of the immigration operation in Minneapolis have led Trump to make some changes. An influential group of doctors has split with the CDC over shot recommendations for children. And the downfall of China’s top general could have implications for Taiwan.

Here’s what to know today.

Trump reshuffles his Minnesota operation after backlash from second fatal shooting

President Donald Trump has made significant changes of leadership in the Minnesota immigration operations after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, according to administration officials and allies.

“The visuals were not playing well. He understands TV. … He saw it for himself,” said a Republican lawmaker who was granted anonymity to speak candidly.

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Saturday’s shooting has prompted a leadership shakeup, a reduction of agents in the city, a reset with key Democratic officials in the state, and an attempt to distance the president from some of the more extreme comments from some of his top advisers.

More than 3,000 federal agents have been sent to Minneapolis, and they currently outnumber the local police force nearly five-to-one. One adviser said that while immigration enforcement will not end, the shooting is forcing the administration to rethink what operations will look like going forward.

Trump said he and Gov. Tim Walz spoke by phone Monday, calling it a “very good call” in a social media post.

Walz said Trump agreed to talk to the Department of Homeland Security about allowing state officials to conduct their own independent shooting investigations and decreasing the number of federal agents in his state.

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Read the full story here.

More news out of Minneapolis:

  • Democrats are pushing to drastically slash funding for ICE and Border Protection, or totally gut the agencies after the shooting death of Pretti.
  • Investigators are reviewing body-camera videos that captured Pretti’s fatal shooting. Analysis shows witness video contradicts the Trump administration’s description of the event.
  • A growing number of Senate Republicans are calling for an investigation into the shooting.
  • FBI Director Kash Patel says the agency is investigating Minnesota Signal chats that are tracking ICE.
  • A Minnesota Republican dropped out of the governor’s race, citing his party’s handling of immigration enforcement in the state.

Doctors break with CDC on vaccine guidance for children

A child is seen from behind while being vaccinated by a nurse on his left arm.
A child is vaccinated during an immunization event in the Panorama City neighborhood of Los Angeles on October 24, 2025.Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images file

The nation’s leading group of pediatricians released its annual children’s vaccine recommendations — and for the first time in 30 years it significantly broke from the government’s proposed vaccine schedule.

The American Academy of Pediatrics’ guidance largely reflects what has previously been recommended, no longer completely aligning with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recently reduced the number of diseases on the vaccine schedule. The AAP additionally recommends shots against Covid, RSV, the flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A and B, and meningitis.

“These recent changes to the CDC schedule are a strong departure from the medical evidence and no longer offer the optimal way to prevent illness in children,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary, chair of the AAP’s committee on infectious diseases.

Read the full story here.

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The downfall of China’s top general

China Military
Chinese President Xi Jinping poses with Zhang Youxia in Beijing on Dec. 22, 2025.Li Gang / AP

The investigation into China’s top general, once a close ally of President Xi Jinping, has thrown the leadership of the country’s military into turmoil and raised questions about Taiwan’s future.

The Chinese Defense Ministry said in a statement that Gen. Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, which controls the armed forces, was under investigation and accused of serious “violations of discipline and law.”

An editorial in the Liberation Army Daily newspaper, the mouthpiece of the country’s armed forces, suggested that Zhang, 75, was accused of corruption and possibly disloyalty to Xi.

Zhang was previously considered “untouchable,” according to Alessandro Arduino, an expert in Chinese security at the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank. “This is a reminder coming directly from President Xi Jinping that political loyalty stands well before combat readiness,” he said. “Political disloyalty is a cardinal sin inside the party. I think the message is extremely clear: No one is safe.”

Of the six generals the president appointed to the commission in 2022, only one is left, allowing Xi to consolidate power but also heightening the risk of a military miscalculation when it comes to Taiwan, according to Steve Tsang, the director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London. “Removing generals like Zhang means that there will not be any general who would dare to advise Xi against a military adventure when the time comes, and this increases the risk of a miscalculation,” he said.

Read All About It

  • TikTok says widespread disruptions were caused by a power outage, after users voiced concerns that they were being politically censored under the app’s new U.S. ownership.
  • India and the European Union have finalized a landmark trade deal that will represent a quarter of the world’s economy, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.
  • It’s officially tax season, and there are several new deductions going into effect this year that could change how Americans file their returns.
  • People are opting for the cheapest available Affordable Care Act plans, but that could lead to higher out-of-pocket costs later.
  • The remains of the last hostage held in Gaza were identified by the Israeli military, paving the way for the next phase of the ceasefire.
  • Alex Vindman, an Army veteran who was a key witness during Trump’s first impeachment, will run for the Florida Senate as a Democrat.
  • Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, apologized for his history of “reckless” antisemitic comments in a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal.

Staff Pick: Some prediction market traders find a lucrative niche: Betting against Elon Musk.

Elon Musk
On websites such as Kalshi and Polymarket, users can place bets on what Elon Musk might do next.Leila Register / NBC News; Getty Images

As a tech reporter, I’ve seen Elon Musk fall short on a lot of promises. The Tesla CEO has failed, for example, to deploy fully self-driving cars. And since entering the political world, he has made one pledge after another that haven’t come true, such as his 2024 vow to find $2 trillion in federal budget waste.

Musk is also a master at evading scrutiny. Tesla’s sky-high share price is evidence of that, and he is still the world’s wealthiest person. But now, prediction markets are providing at least a small measure of accountability. These markets are rising in popularity, as people turn to sites such as Kalshi and Polymarket to wager on current events. Recently, I spoke with some users who bet against Musk’s predictions coming true — a strategy that has worked out pretty well for them.

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David Ingram, tech reporter

NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified

Staying hydrated should never fall to the bottom of your to-do list. One easy way to drink more water is to invest in a water pitcher with expert-approved filtration systems. You can also carry around a reusable water bottle to help hit your hydration goals—one of our editor favorites, the Yeti Rambler, is on sale right now for a limited time only.

Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.

Thanks for reading today’s Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Kaylah Jackson, Marissa Martinez and David Hickey. If you’re a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign-up here.



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Video: Border Patrol Official Gregory Bovino Is Set to Leave Minnesota

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Video: Border Patrol Official Gregory Bovino Is Set to Leave Minnesota


new video loaded: Border Patrol Official Gregory Bovino Is Set to Leave Minnesota

The Trump administration is planning to move Gregory Bovino, a Border Patrol official whose tactics in major American cities have drawn controversy, out of Minneapolis, according to two officials.

By Jackeline Luna

January 26, 2026

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LIVE UPDATES | ICE in Minnesota: Deadly weekend shooting, protests, and court hearings

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LIVE UPDATES | ICE in Minnesota: Deadly weekend shooting, protests, and court hearings


Immigration operations remain underway following a deadly weekend shooting in Minneapolis, as state and federal officials prepare for court hearings tied to immigration enforcement and evidence preservation on Monday. 

Over the weekend, federal Border Patrol agents fatally shot a Minneapolis man, 37-year-old VA ICU nurse Alex Pretti. This is the third shooting involving federal agents this year, including the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent on Jan. 7. The latest incident comes as thousands of federal agents are in Minneapolis as part of Operation Metro Surge. 

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Meanwhile, multiple federal court hearings are scheduled for Monday as legal battles unfold. A federal judge is slated to hear oral arguments on Minnesota’s lawsuit seeking to stop the surge of federal immigration agents, and another hearing is set on a temporary restraining order that blocks the Trump administration from “destroying or altering evidence” in the Alex Pretti shooting.

Find live updates on this shooting below. Watch FOX 9 live in the player above. Live events and other updates can be viewed below.

7:30 a.m. – Protesters target hotels

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For several weeks, protesters have been targeting hotels where federal agents are believed to be staying. State officials say demonstrators damaged a hotel in Dinkytown on Sunday night, leading to a large response from law enforcement with federal agents using tear gas to disperse the crowd. 

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety released a statement on the incident: 

“The Minnesota State Patrol and DNR were called to assist Minneapolis police with damage to hotel property at Home2 Suites Hotel on University Avenue. While they collaboratively worked to encircle the group for arrests because the demonstration was not peaceful, federal agents arrived without communication and deployed chemical irritants, clearing the group. The State Patrol and DNR are no longer on scene.”

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6:45 a.m. – Federal court hearings Monday

The legal fight over immigration enforcement in Minnesota returns to court Monday.

A federal judge is scheduled to hear oral arguments at 9 a.m. Monday in a lawsuit filed by the State of Minnesota, Minneapolis and St. Paul, which seeks to stop the surge of ICE agents in the state. The lawsuit is calling the ICE operations in Minnesota illegal, while the DOJ has called the lawsuit frivolous. 

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In a separate case, there is a legal battle over evidence in the shooting death of Alex Pretti. A federal judge in Minnesota blocked the Trump administration from “destroying or altering” evidence. 

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says federal officers initially blocked their investigators from the shooting scene. Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a motion Saturday night asking the court for a restraining order to preserve evidence collected by federal officers. 

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The judge swiftly granted the motion and BCA agents were able to access the scene Sunday morning, roughly 24 hours after the shooting. 

A hearing in the case is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Monday. 

Minneapolis ICE shootingImmigrationMinnesota
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