Is Andrew Van Ginkel … The Defensive Player of the Year?

Awards are not won through just the first ten games of a season. That being said, the Minnesota Vikings must be thrilled with the exceptional performance of their new edge rusher. When Danielle Hunter signed with the Houston Texans, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was forced to pivot. He landed stars in Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard.

Is Andrew Van Ginkel … The Defensive Player of the Year?

Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard have performed admirably in the absence of Danielle Hunter. That was always the hope. Minnesota saved money by pivoting away from the expensive veteran free agent and turned it into a pair of talented contributors. There is nothing that Greenard has explicitly done to fall short. It still bears noting that Van Ginkel has absolutely been better than expected.

Through the first 10 games of the season, Van Ginkel has already posted a career-high of eight sacks. He recorded a pair on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, and that became his second game this season in which he had a multi-sack performance. To this point, Van Ginkel is fifth in the league when it comes to sacks. He is within striking distance of Trey Hendrickson’s 11.5 but also contributes in other facets.

Van Ginkel has proven to be much more than just a straight edge rusher. He has been aware to drop in coverage at times and has picked off a pair of passes as well. Despite having just two interceptions in his first five NFL seasons, Van Ginkel has replicated that number with Minnesota. Then there’s the fact that he has been able to celebrate in the end zone. Taking both of his picks to the house also represents a league-best tally.

With 46 tackles to his credit, Van Ginkel should surpass previous marks when it comes to bringing down the opposing ball carrier. He understood Brian Flores’ expectations when he was coached in Miami, but the pair has been able to elevate the results while wearing purple together.

Earlier this season, it seemed like Detroit Lions Aidan Hutchinson was a lock for the award. That was probably true at the time, but his injury certainly changed the landscape going forward.

There’s plenty of runway for Van Ginkel or someone else to step up, but the Vikings edge has to feel good about his chances as they stand.

Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.