Ole Miss DT who can play wildcat QB seen as an ideal fit for Vikings

Wait, what? He's also a wildcat quarterback? Yep....

Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Mississippi defensive lineman J.J. Pegues (DL27) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Vikings only have four picks in the upcoming draft, so to say they need to find value out of every one of those picks is stating the obvious. Is an Ole Miss defensive tackle just the right guy for Minnesota in the later rounds?

Ole Miss' J.J. Pegues is a 6-foot-2 defensive tackle who has been described by NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah as a "fun, versatile piece in this year's draft." In five college seasons, split between Auburn and Ole Miss, Pegues registered 126 total tackles, including 29 for a loss, and 10 sacks.

PFF's Mason Cameron recently labeled Pegues as a good Day 3 fit for the Vikings, saying, "Given the creativity of Brian Flores and Kevin O'Connell, there's no better landing spot to make full use of Pegues' skill set."

"Versatility is Pegues’ calling card," said Cameron. "He took snaps all over the defensive line, as well as in goal-line packages on offense, in college. The Ole Miss fan-favorite is a relentless, high-energy player, evidenced by his high-percentile grades as a run defender (87th) and pass rusher on true pass sets (84th)."

Pegeus earned a 65.6 pass rush grade in 2024 but was far more effective in the run game, where PFF gave him an 81.8 grade — the eighth-best grade among SEC defensive linemen.

In a video conference earlier this year, Jeremiah listed Pegeus among three 'Swiss-Army Knife' type players.

“Defensively, I mentioned Pegues and all the different things he can do. He’s someone who, on the defensive side of the ball, is a defensive tackle who every now and then will kick out and just be a big, massive edge rusher," said Jeremiah. "But then on offense, he’s a wildcat quarterback, he’s an H-back, he’s a wing, he runs the ball."

Wait, what? He's also a wildcat quarterback? Yep....

Pegues was sporadically used on the offensive side of the ball by Ole Miss, where he totaled 69 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns on 21 carries in 2024.

Minnesota might not need gadget plays to score or pick up first downs in short-yardage situations. Instead, they signed running back Jordan Mason to take the pressure off Aaron Jones in those scenarios, but drafting a freak athlete like Pegues would certainly be interesting.

"Pegues can be hell on wheels when he’s motivated and has it cranked up. He’s quick off the ball but not explosive into first contact as consistently as he could be. He’ll beat reach blocks and double teams if he gets his technique ironed out," said NFL Network's Lance Zierlein of Pegues in his draft profile.

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