The Minnesota Vikings are firmly entrenched in OTAs and are progressing toward training camp at TCO Performance Center. This will be the third season under head coach Kevin O'Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and it's also a turning point in the future of the organization.
To prepare for the pivotal 2024 season, we will break down each player on the 90-man roster leading up to training camp. In this series, we will look into their background, scheme fit, best and worst case scenario along with what to expect from each player. It will also help gain more insight on each player going into the year, especially with players who haven't gotten much fanfare.
Is Dallas Gant the next Vikings special teams ace?
Background
Gant was a four-star recruit out of high school and committed to Ohio State. He played their for four season but couldn't break through which led to his transfer to Toledo. In his two years with the Rockets, Gant was a two-time first-team All-MAC linebacker with 116 tackles in both 2022 and 2023. He was also a team captain and Academic All-MAC.
Scheme fit
Gant is a traditional middle linebacker who can thrive in multiple alignments. He lined up all across the second level for the Rockets in 2023 along with multiple spots on every special teams unit. Gant can do a little bit of everything for you for an on-ball linebacker.
Best case scenario
Gant is going into a linebacker room that doesn't have a lot of depth. Brian Asamoah II and Kamu Grugier-Hill don't have roster spots locked up and could be overtaken. Gant's ability on special teams could land him a roster spot and there is some intrigue in him as a depth linebacker.
Worst case scenario
Gant's athletic profile is okay, but considering he only weighs 228 lbs, you would like to see more. His 40-yard dash splits are all in the low 70th percentile range and poor agility scores don't project well to playing off the ball. He did have a 95th percentile broad jump which helps with his explosiveness.
What to expect in 2024
Gant is an interesting player. He was an Ohio State Buckeye for four years before going to Toledo but not emerging in Colombus isn't great to read in his profile. The one thing that stands out on Gant's profile is the special teams acumen. The Vikings did give Gant a $5k signing bonus and $50k guaranteed so there is real intrigue in what Gant can do.
Much like how NaJee Thompson was a standout on special teams, Gant is the same type of player. He has over 1,000 special teams snaps and the fourth linebacker on the roster needs to be a special teams ace. Gant can be that guy. Will he have upside as a linebacker? We genuinely don't know but it's not out of the question.
Previous player profiles
Devron Harper | Ty James | Trey Knox | Gabriel Murphy | Dwight McGlothern
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