Viktor
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- Mar 19, 2019
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EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings again boasted of one of the top linebacker duos across the NFL, as Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr led the way for that position group for the fifth straight season.
Kendricks wasn't initially selected to the Pro Bowl, but he did participate in the game as an alternate. Regardless of his path to Orlando, Florida, the fifth-year linebacker from UCLA had his best season as a pro and was rewarded with First-Team All-Pro honors.
A second-round pick in 2015, Kendricks had 130 combined tackles (according to coaches' stats), leading the team in tackles for the fifth season in a row.
He also recorded 12 pass breakups, and added four tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 15 games. He suffered a quad injury in Week 16 against Green Bay and then sat out in Week 17 against Chicago.
Barr tested free agency in the offseason but chose to return to Minnesota. He was named a captain for the second season in a row.
The linebacker finished second on the team with 96 combined tackles (according to coaches' stats), adding six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an interception.
Eric Wilson and Ben Gedeon both spent time as the third linebacker in Minnesota's base defense.
Gedeon began the season as the third linebacker, but was limited to eight games (five starts) due to injury. He was placed on Injured Reserve with a month left in the season after recording 18 total tackles (according to coaches' stats) on the season.
Wilson was a special teams standout who made his presence felt on defense, too. He started eight games while playing on defense in every regular-season and playoff game. He recorded 66 total tackles (according to coaches' stats), with six tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks.
Kentrell Brothers was once again a key special teams player, while rookie Cameron Smith — a fifth-round pick out of Southern California — provided depth on special teams in his first season.
Notable Number
12 — Kendricks totaled 12 passes defensed in 2019, which tied him with Demario Davis and Luke Kuechly for first among NFL linebackers in 2019. Kendricks also tied a Vikings single-season franchise record for pass breakups by a linebacker, equaling the mark set by Matt Blair in 1981 and tied by Ben Leber in 2008.