There was a stretch in recent years that the Minnesota Vikings were lacking much of a pass-rushing presence. It was a major deterrent as opposing teams were able to pick apart their secondary knowing that they could stand in the pocket without any resistance. But, that is no longer the case in Minnesota.

The Vikings now have a strong pass rush after the signing of Za’Darius Smith this offseason. Smith was released by the Packers following a lost 2021 season in which he was injured in Week 1 and then sidelined until the postseason. It looked as if he was heading back to the Baltimore Ravens, the team that drafted him in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft and whom he played the first four years of his career with, but changed course at the last second.

It is a move that Minnesota is certainly thankful for as Smith has been an integral part of their scheme defensively. He is currently leading the team with 9.5 sacks, providing a bookend to Danielle Hunter, who has 7.0 sacks on the season.

Smith getting back on track isn’t too surprising as he was very productive with the Packers before an injury derailed his 2021 campaign. He totaled 26 sacks in his first two seasons in Green Bay and is making his impact felt with the Vikings as well.

Even when he doesn’t get the sack, Smith has been living in the opponent’s backfield. According to PFF, he is leading the NFL with 63 pressures on the season, one ahead of Defensive Player of the Year candidate Nick Bosa of the San Francisco 49ers. Six other players have recorded at least 50 pressures this season as Micah Parsons, Brian Burns, Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett, Mathew Judon and Chris Jones round out the list.

In addition to the sacks and pressures, Smith has picked up 15 tackles for loss and 19 quarterback hits. He is making plays for the Vikings regularly as one of the best free-agent acquisitions of the 2022 offseason.