Report: Minnesota Vikings to sign Wisconsin OLB Garret Dooley

Another Wisconsin outside linebacker will receive a shot in the NFL, as the Minnesota Vikings will sign Garret Dooley, the Wisconsin State Journal’s Jason Galloway reports.

Dooley transitioned to outside linebacker for the 2015 season after initially moving around from inside linebacker to defensive line. In 2016, he contributed as part of the rotation with T.J. Watt and Vince Biegel, even starting a couple of games due to Biegel’s foot injury.

Last season, Dooley and Leon Jacobs assured continued production from the outside linebacker position after Watt and Biegel’s departures. Dooley led the team in sacks (7.5) and tackles for loss (12), helping Wisconsin’s defense be among the best in the country in multiple categories.

Dooley trained at the Michael Johnson Performance center in McKinney, Texas, then participated in the Senior Bowl in January. He performed at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and at Wisconsin’s Pro Day on March 14.

Height, weight, arm length, hand size, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, 20-yard shuttle statistics from NFL Combine; 40-yard dash and 3-cone drill from Wisconsin Pro Day.

Dooley will look to continue the legacy of recent Wisconsin outside linebackers making an impact at the next level. Joe Schobert (2016), Watt and Biegel (2017), and Jacobs all were drafted in recent years and were tutored under the guidance of former position coach Tim Tibesar.