Apparently, The Vikings are Considering a “Freak” Who is “Built like an Adonis”

Getting compared to a mythological figure is a nice compliment. So is being labeled a freak, at least in the context of football evaluations.

Cincinnati linebacker Jack Dingle isn’t expected to get drafted. The Vikings are still putting in some work. Indeed, he may find a way over to Minnesota, journeying down a well-worn path of Bearcat ‘backers who become Vikings from within undrafted free agency. In 2017, Eric Wilson did so and then 2023 featured Ivan Pace. Is Dingle the next example?

The Vikings are Researching LB Jack Dingle

To begin, the update about Minnesota demonstrating some interest in the defender.

Ryan Fowler sends along the update: “Name to know in the LB class — Cincy LB Jack Dingle (6041, 235 lbs). Has a 30 visit scheduled with the Raiders, private lunch with New Orleans, and had a private meeting with Minnesota, as well. Will attend Bengals local day.”

In 2024, the linebacker showed up on a (sort of) prestigious list.

Bruce Feldman leans into the alliteration by compiling a “Freaks List” on an annual basis. The idea is to shine a spotlight onto the insanely gifted players in college football. Being a freak is therefore a high honor, a compliment meant to magnify the gifts of young lads who are demonstrating collegiate promise.

Consider the assessment from Feldman for Dingle: “The son of former NFL player Nate Dingle, a Cincinnati team captain in the 1990s, Jack is 6-3 1/2, 240-pounds and built like an Adonis, coaches say. He benched 395 pounds this offseason and did 26 reps at 225. He clocked a 1.54-second 10-yard split, hit 21.99 mph on the GPS and had a 4.21 pro agility shuttle to go with a 33-inch vertical and a 9-11 broad jump. Last fall, he made 53 tackles and had five TFLs, one sack, one quarterback hurry and two fumble recoveries.”

Translating those details would mean understanding that Jack Dingle stands at close to 6’4″ and weighs around 240 pounds. That’s a tremendous frame for modern football, a game that’s built around passing. Dingle’s length and speed should allow him to hang with tight ends, players who are commonly a matchup nightmare.

Furthermore, the explosiveness gives Dingle the potential to fly all over the field. Playing linebacker is about more than just being long and explosive, but those attributes are a nice place to start.

At minimum, Jack Dingle appears to be someone who could be excellent on specials.

Maybe Tai Felton gets kicked out of his gunner job in favor of a more robust helping of snaps on offense as the WR3 (unless someone else gets added). If so, then a gunner is needed. Could Dingle be a frisky option? The job usually goes to receivers or defensive backs since coaches like to partner length with speed, but an unusually athletic linebacker could get the job done.

In 2025, Jack Dingle offered some pretty good numbers for Cincinnati. His 60 tackles stand alongside 3 sacks and 4 tackles for loss. PFF handed out a reasonably tepid grade coming in at 62.5, but the strongest portion of his game was his 69.9 coverage grade.

The 2026 NFL Draft takes place from Thursday, April 23rd until Saturday, April 25th. Keep Dingle’s name tucked away in the back of your mind as someone who could get added afterwards.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.