Oct 1, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers fans in the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Ivan Pace is the gold standard for UDFA linebackers. Basically, anyone coming in at that position needs to emulate what the Cincinnati Bearcat accomplished in Year 1.
Can the Vikings’ UDFA LB Dallas Gant be that player? Or, perhaps, can he show at least some of the positives?
Gant began his college career at Ohio State before flipping over to Toledo. Across his initial four seasons, Gant didn’t fill the stat sheet, but things changed from 2022-23. At Toledo, Gant piled up tackles, sparking optimism about what he can do at the NFL level. Does he force his way onto Minnesota’s final roster?
Vikings’ UDFA Add Dallas Gant Has a Shot at Linebacker
The NFL scouting report suggests that a 6th or 7th-Round selection would be appropriate for the defender.
Lance Zierlein sees good things in the linebacker’s game. Consider the word: “Former four-star recruit at Ohio State who ultimately became a first-team All-MAC linebacker in both seasons with Toledo. Gant is tall and possesses an athletic build with long arms. He’s instinctive as an inside linebacker and rarely displays panic or impatience when diagnosing, pursuing or tackling. He takes on blocks with adequate efficiency and is a balanced tackle finisher. He doesn’t appear to have plus speed and might need to play with better downhill flow as a pro. Gant’s football intelligence and skill level could make him worthy of a Day 3 selection and put him in position to battle for a backup spot at some point.”
Jan 1, 2021; New Orleans, LA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Justin Hilliard (47) celebrates with Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Dallas Gant (19) after recovering a fumble against the Clemson Tigers during the third quarter at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Russell Costanza-USA TODAY Sports
The report offers reason for concern and intrigue, magnifying upside and downside. Gant may not be the world’s best athlete but he’s someone who can find success as a tackler and who has a brain.
Last year, Gant had 116 tackles to stand alongside 8 TFLs, 1 sack, 1 INT, and 2 PDs. The year prior, Gant picked up 116 tackles, 5.5 TFLs and 5 PDs. Across the two years, he forced a trio of fumbles.
At no point did his stats ever soar to those heights while operating as a Buckeye.
Jan 11, 2021; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Dallas Gant (19) against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2021 CFP National Championship Game. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
PFF placed Dallas Gant at 288th on their board, meaning they believed he would fall out of the draft or potentially be a pick in the 7th. The 24-year-old had this scouting blurb attached to his profile: “Gant transferred from Ohio State to get more playing time and made the most of it when he landed at Toledo. A sure tackler who impressed as a run defender and in coverage, he’s good enough to hear his name called on draft weekend.”
The length and sure tackling will need to be evident on kickoff/punt coverage to get onto the team. Pace is on the team and so, too, are Blake Cashman, Kamu Grugier-Hill, and Brian Asamoah close to locks (Cashman is essentially 100%). Will there be room for five linebackers in Minnesota?
The challenge for Gant is to demonstrate that he’s worth retaining over a depth DB or DL. Doing so will involve showing that he can be a menace on special teams. Can he be a Troy Dye replacement, a linebacker who had good speed, length, and tackling for Matt Daniels?
Nov 19, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans linebacker Blake Cashman (53) reacts after a play during the game against the Arizona Cardinals at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
The Vikings have Dallas Gant operating on a three-year, $2.835 million deal. Notably, there’s $55,000 guaranteed, a medium amount that suggests other teams were interested in securing Gant’s services.
As of right now, the likeliest outcome is the practice squad, but keep an eye on Dallas Gant in training camp and the preseason.
Editor’s Note: Information from Sports Reference CFB, Over the Cap, and PFF helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.
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Publish date : 2024-07-01 13:00:00
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