It’s Time For Andrew Van Ginkel To Become A Household Name
Credit: Denny Simmons
Through three seasons, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s defining trait has been evaluating the NFL player landscape. Despite mixed draft performances, the Vikings’ leader has excelled in bringing in talent through trades (T.J. Hockenson) and signing free agents to team-friendly contracts. This past offseason Kwesi signed 13 free agents and all but one (Jonah Williams) has played a significant role for an 8-2 Vikings squad.
In not resigning Danielle Hunter, who signed for $24.5 million per year with the Houston Texans, he applied his stock market-like approach to the NFL marketplace. Kwesi then flipped those salary cap gains into signing several players including former Miami Dolphin Andrew Van Ginkel to a modest two-year, $20 million contract.
As a Dolphin, Van Ginkel was coming off one of his best seasons, compiling 69 tackles, 6.0 sacks, and one interception that went for a touchdown. Through 10 games this season, Van Ginkel has registered 46 tackles, 8.0 sacks, and two interceptions — both Picks-6. His impact has nearly single-handedly won games for the Vikings, as Flores is using him in inventive ways, putting Van Ginkel’s elite anticipation to use.
In Week 1 against the New York Giants, Van Ginkel made the play of the game. Watch as he lines up at the left edge of the defensive line, pursues at the snap, then fades laterally as he diagnoses Daniel Jones throwing the ball into the flat. His expert reading of Jones led to a walk-in touchdown that essentially put the game on ice.
VAN GINKEL PICK-6! 🚨
📺: #MINvsNYG on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/dTkLrnbCOh— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024
We can find a near-mirror image in Week 5 against Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets as he positions himself on the line pre-snap. Once the play starts, he quickly drops back into a passing lane for the interception and then shows off his jets (no pun intended) down the sideline for his second touchdown of the season.
🎥 Former Miami Dolphins LB Andrew Van Ginkel with a pick-six vs. New York Jets (@NFL) #GoFins pic.twitter.com/Tr7oVIgYnO
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) October 6, 2024
His play recognition and anticipation are hard-to-find traits in a player, something Flores recognized in him from making similar plays while he was head coach in Miami.
Andrew Van Ginkel out scoring the Commanders offense with this pick 6💀 pic.twitter.com/Lb1lIUtkG5
— King of Phinland🐬👑 (@KingOfPhinland) December 3, 2023
Flores utilizes Van Ginkel (among others) in ways that play to his versatile skill set, fitting into the complex structure that he likes to deploy. Out of the 522 snaps Van Ginkel has played this season (per PFF), he has started on the defensive line (433), in the box (63), at slot cornerback (25), and on one special teams snap.
Versatility is Van Ginkel’s calling card, and he is strong across the board, rushing the passer, stopping the run, and handling coverage duties with equal skill. He is tied for fifth in the NFL with 8.0 sacks despite being dead-last in pass-rush percentage rate (71.0%) among defenders that have over 200 pass-rushing snaps.
He is first in the NFL with 13 tackles for loss and among edge rushers, he leads the league in coverage snaps (133) by a wide margin. The next closest is Michael Hoecht with 82 snaps. There’s a reason he’s used so much in coverage — he’s great at it. Van Ginkel is fifth in PFF coverage grade (86.5) amongst ALL defenders with at least 125 coverage snaps.
Against the Tennessee Titans last week, Van Ginkel wreaked havoc as he had a team-high eight tackles, 2.0 sacks, three tackles for loss, and five pressures. According to PFF, he played 53 snaps with 18 in run defense, 19 for pass-rush, and 16 in coverage, which emphasizes his trademark versatility and how Flores has unleashed him.
While Kwesi has struggled to consistently find talent in the draft, he is striking gold in the free agent sphere, as Van Ginkel is trending towards a season that is, ironically, reminiscent of former Miami Dolphin and 2006 Defensive Player of the Year Jason Taylor, who also had two interceptions for touchdowns while finishing the season with 13.5 sacks.
In an era where edge rushers have become more prominent, the award will no doubt be a competitive race, but Andrew Van Ginkel is turning in an overall performance that’s a huge part of his team continuing to lead the NFL in defensive DVOA (-24.9). If he keeps going this way, he has an opportunity to become a household name by season’s end.
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