Though he might not be a household name at this point in his career, Van Ginkel has become so important to everything the Vikings do on defense. He has been very effective as a pass rusher, whether he’s using his speed off the edge, or his strength up the middle. He has also been very reliable whenever asked to drop in coverage.

Van Ginkel had his third multi-sack game of the season; it's his first-ever Defensive Player of the Week honor.

Former Wisconsin linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel was named the NFC’s Defensive Player of Week 16 on Tuesday. Van Ginkel, who played at Wisconsin from 2017-18, earned the designation for his contributions in the Minnesota Vikings’ 27-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.