DJ Wonnum, Vikings
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Former Edge-rusher DJ Wonnum of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Detroit Lions finally made a move to round out their incomplete pass-rush unit and inked a recent breakout player from the Minnesota Vikings to do it.
Minnesota selected outside linebacker DJ Wonnum in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft and watched him develop into a quality starter across a four-year run with the team. Wonnum tallied eight sacks in both 2021 and 2023, playing in 32 of 34 regular-season games across those two campaigns and starting 14 contests in both of them.
All told, Wonnum tallied 23 sacks and 24 tackles for loss over 62 games played (31 starts) in Minnesota. The team let him walk in free agency following the 2023 campaign before signing Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel to serve as its primary pass-rushers heading into 2024.
Greenard and Van Ginkel both put up the first Pro Bowl campaigns of their respective careers for the Vikings in 2024, as the team went 14-3 and made the playoffs. However, each player took something of a step back last season, and Greenard is now on the trade block after demanding a new contract.
Meanwhile, Wonnum landed with the Carolina Panthers on a two-year deal worth $12.5 million total. He played in 24 games for the Panthers over the past two seasons (23 starts), putting up seven total sacks and eight tackles for loss. Carolina made a playoff appearance in January, its first since 2017, and lost by just three points to the Los Angeles Rams.
Detroit inked Wonnum to a one-year deal on Tuesday, March 17, heading into his age-29 campaign.
“Former Panthers free-agent DE DJ Wonnum is signing a one-year deal worth up to $6 million with the Detroit Lions, per his agents Kevin Conner and Robert Brown of [Universal Sports Management],” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported via social media.
The author will update this post.