Flores’ influence on Vikings seen in shape-shifting draft picks for defense

At the end of the Vikings' Feb. 15 news conference to introduce him as the team's new defensive coordinator, Brian Flores was asked if he would keep the Vikings in a 3-4 scheme or return to a 4-3 base defense.

Flores quickly responded, "Who are we playing?" before adding, "It's game plan-specific, but it's 3-4."

The brief answer confirmed a basic tenet of the Vikings' defense that had been widely expected: they'd hired a coordinator with an extensive 3-4 background in Flores, and they wouldn't ditch the three-man front a year after installing it.

But Flores' response hinted at a philosophical difference between his approach and that of his predecessor Ed Donatell: The Vikings' scheme would evolve based on the matchups they faced. After a season where the team's defensive woes often seemed wrapped in a passivity that gave opponents plenty of room to dictate the terms of the game, the Vikings turned to a coordinator with a more aggressive bent. Before the draft, Flores told the Vikings' scouts he wanted players whose versatility could fit his approach.

"That has been one of the main messages that B-Flo has put on us," assistant player personnel director Chisom Opara said Saturday. "He is built on being multiple and the idea of having an aggressive scheme, the idea of having a scheme that can dictate to the offense. Part of that is having players that can play multiple roles so you don't develop tendencies; you don't have certain guys that specialize at doing certain things. The more versatile players you can add, the more you can be the one who is calling the shots a little bit and keeping the offense guessing as the game goes on."

After taking wide receiver Jordan Addison in the first round on Thursday, the Vikings used their next three picks on defenders who could play in multiple spots. USC cornerback Mekhi Blackmon had experience at both outside cornerback and in the slot. LSU defensive back Jay Ward played safety, outside corner and slot corner in college; Adofo-Mensah said Vikings scouts arrived at varying opinions about which spot he could play best in the NFL. Ward's LSU teammate, defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy, said he can line up anywhere from over the center to the tackle's inside shoulder.

None of the three defenders posted top-of-the-class athletic numbers at the NFL combine. But in drafting the trio, the Vikings added to what they hope can be a shape-shifting defense.

"I would say it's a big part of what they do," Adofo-Mensah said. "It's a big part of obviously what I've looked for in the past, but especially in [Flores] defense, he is so good at optimizing people's skill sets. He will match personnel, he will match different schemes. Giving him weapons to do so is ultimately my job, and I'm happy to do so for him."

In Danielle Hunter and Marcus Davenport, the Vikings have two edge rushers who've spent much of their careers as 4-3 defensive ends. Safety Camryn Bynum began his college career as a cornerback, and free-agent signing Byron Murphy Jr. could play outside corner before shifting to the slot in passing situations.

Flores' emphasis on versatility was part of his scheme as the Dolphins' head coach, after his time with Bill Belichick in New England. In a year where the Vikings had neither the cap space nor the high draft picks to devote to a defensive overhaul, they could use the approach to coax some improvement out of a unit that's ranked near the bottom of the league each season since 2020.

They will still need young corners like Akayleb Evans and Andrew Booth Jr. to stay healthy while excelling in larger roles, especially as the Vikings seem likely to employ more man coverages and blitzes without as much deep safety help. And the Vikings' pass rush, which flailed at the end of last season, could still take on a different form if the team ends up moving on from Za'Darius Smith. It did not trade the 30-year-old this week, though the fact a new team would likely rework Smith's contract meant the Vikings might have been more likely to receive 2024 draft picks all along.

Flores pulled his name out of the Cardinals' head coaching search and accepted the Vikings' defensive coordinator job, believing he'd found a partner in O'Connell who shared his philosophies. His prospects for another head coaching job could hinge on what he does with the Vikings' defense, while the decision to replace Donatell with Flores after one season hinted at the urgency O'Connell felt to fix the defense quickly.

The fact the Vikings will take a different defensive approach in 2023 does not guarantee they will be more successful than they were in 2022. But over the weekend, their approach to the draft suggested they're committed to following Flores' lead on defense.

"He talks a lot about big guys that run like little guys," Opara said. "Big guys that have the size and the physical traits to play big at the line of scrimmage but then when the ball declares or there is a screen or instances where they have to be more aggressive playing up-field, they're not just guys who are tying up blockers. They're big guys who can also do little guy things. Those are the traits that we look for.

"Those guys are in high demand so they're not just falling off the trees. But if you can find guys that can do both, you know you're on the right path."