Why It's Time for Vikings to Add Kyle Van Noy to 53-Man Roster in Week 3

The Vikings are enjoying great performances from their starting edge rushers through the first two games. Starting outside linebackers Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel have combined for 5.5 sacks already, and the entire unit looks intimidating, clocking in an impressive pass-rush grade of 70.4 (9th) on Pro Football Focus.

This hot start is amazing for the Vikings, but is it sustainable? Turner is in his first year as a starter and has played 115 defensive snaps in two weeks. Van Ginkel has played four more snaps than Turner, putting him at 119.

While having the dynamic duo on the field is great, playing these two edge rushers so much will take a toll on their bodies over the course of a season. Minnesota would be wise to have a reliable veteran to give them some rest during games, and that player should be two-time Super Bowl Champion Kyle Van Noy.

Adding Kyle Van Noy to the Vikings' 53-man roster makes too much sense to ignore

Promoting Noy to the 53-man roster would solve that problem for the Vikings, helping to keep Turner and Van Ginkel as fresh as possible. The veteran edge rusher might be 35 years old and in his 13th NFL season, but he could be a valuable rotational player for the Purple and Gold.

Van Noy has been promoted to the 53-man roster for each of Minnesota's first two weeks and has played 43 defensive snaps so far. His stats aren't as good as Turner's or Van Ginkel's, but the former 2014 second-round pick of the Lions has two tackles, one of which was for a loss, and even owns a 60.1 pass-rush grade after notching two pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

Kyle Van Noy looks on. — Kyle Van Noy hasn't been the Vikings' best defender, but he's done enough to prove he deserves a 53-man roster spot. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Minnesota has two backup edge rushers on the roster right now, but neither one offers the kind of experience that Van Noy does. Neither Chaz Chambliss nor Bo Richter has played a single defensive snap this year, which is not a good sign when talking about the coaches' trust in them.

Promoting Van Noy to the 53-man roster saves Minnesota from calling him up one game at a time and gives the Vikings a more reliable floor while protecting him from being signed to another team's active roster off their practice squad.

This is one of those situations that seems like a win-win idea for the Vikings.

Not only do they get their backup/rotational edge rusher on the 53-man roster without having to elevate him each week, but Van Noy gets the security of a spot on the active roster without having to go back to the practice squad each week. Not long ago, head coach Kevin O'Connell couldn't contain his excitement about having the veteran disruptor around (h/t Sean Borman).

That bigger-body role that can do a lot of different things is gonna be an integral piece for us.
Kevin O'Connell on Kyle Van Noy

Turner and Van Ginkel won't have to play nearly 60 defensive snaps per game. That type of workload will wear any player down as the season goes on. The Vikings need to lean on a veteran like Van Noy to step in and get after the quarterback once in a while, and signing him to the 53-man roster ASAP will only help the Purple and Gold's defensive outlook in the long run.

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