Viktor
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- Mar 19, 2019
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A defensive end in college, Jalyn Holmes fully expected the speed of football to pick up a little bit after he was a fourth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
But when Holmes moved inside to defensive tackle after arriving in Minnesota, it was almost like the game was in hyperdrive.
“It was a big adjustment. With the NFL, things naturally got faster anyway. But I feel like now it’s kind of slowing down a bit more,” Holmes said. “You learn something new every day that helps slow it down. You have to be a student of the game every day and pick the vets’ brains. … That has helped me out a lot.
“I’m still learning. I just feel like this year it’s kind of slowed down a little bit. There’s still that adjustment. … It’s different blocks and it’s a lot faster,” Holmes added. “But as every day goes by, you get a little bit better at it.”
Holmes is one of a handful of young defensive tackles looking to make an impact in the trenches for the Vikings, who have Pro Bowler Linval Joseph and veteran Shamar Stephen likely locked into the starting roles up front.
While Holmes in his second season, fellow defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson enters his third year with the Vikings. And Hercules Mata’afa has impressed coaches so far this spring after coming back strong from an ACL injury.