Minnesota Vikings: Linval Joseph BR’s Top Nose Tackle

Finally, the anchor of the Minnesota Vikings defensive front, Linval Joseph, is getting credit where credit is due.

Linval Joseph, aka Linval Hungry, is the anchor of the tough blue collar Minnesota Vikings defense. He is the centerpiece to Head Coach Mike Zimmer’s defense. Being the only player on the Vikings team with a Super Bowl ring, Joseph is a leader in the locker room.

Yesterday, the guys over at Bleacher Report put together a list of their top nose tackles in the NFL. The title of the article mentions how the leagues top nose tackles deserve more credit. They count down their top 5 nose tackles. Coming in at number 1 is Minnesota Vikings nose tackle Linval Joseph.

Here is what they had to say about Linval.

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"When Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Linval Joseph is operating at 100 percent, he’s a sight to behold. Men as big as Joseph shouldn’t be able to move as well as the 6’4″, 329-pound defender does.Certain athletic feats from massive men defy logic. Even in the NFL, there are those who can throw other 300-pound men around like rag dolls or blow right by them with an astonishingly quick first step. They’re simply gifted, and Joseph falls into this category.After starting his career with the New York Giants, the Virginia Islands native finally developed into a legitimate difference-maker under the supervision of Vikings head Mike Zimmer.Unlike the previous four defenders, Joseph doesn’t play nose tackle in a base three-man front. Instead, he primarily lines up as a 1-technique over the outside shoulder of opposing centers. This allows him to shoot gaps on a regular basis.His 2015 stat line might not look impressive with 56 total tackles and only half a sack, but he still led Vikings defensive linemen in tackles despite missing four games with turf toe. Plus, he already displayed the ability to harass quarterbacks with 12 sacks during the previous four seasons.Overall, Joseph’s ability to defend the run, collapse the pocket andchase down a running back from behind is a rare commodity in a league where it takes a truly special athlete to stand out from the rest."

Next: One Big Question Heading into Vikings Training Camp

Finally we see some national media taking notice to the job that Linval Joseph does for this team. Linval has been called the best player and the anchor to the Vikings defense by other studs such as Anthony Barr, and Harrison Smith. This year should be interesting if Linval can stay healthy the whole season.