Last season, Vikings defensive end Stephen Weatherly had an opportunity in the league that he’s never had: regular playing time.
With the absence of Everson Griffen, we saw Weatherly appear in all 16 games while starting six. That led to 35 tackles and three sacks, both career highs. He had a career-best 66.8 grade from Pro Football Focus.
Even with Griffen expected to be back in a starting role in 2019, Weatherly should be a big part of the Vikings defense.
“He made a lot of plays,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said via the Star Tribune. “I anticipate that he’ll have a much larger role for us this year as we continue to go forward. He continues to get better every day. You can just see he’s much more confident in everything that he’s doing.”
With Weatherly, 25, in the final year of his rookie contract, 2019 is a big season for him as far as his bank account goes.
With Griffen, Danielle Hunter and an emerging Weatherly, the edge rushers on this team could be pretty dangerous.
