Vikings place RG Pat Elflein on IR

  |  
Sep 17, 2020
Jan 14, 2018; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings center Pat Elflein (65) against the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Divisional Playoff football game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

On Thursday, the Vikings announced that starting right guard Pat Elflein was placed on injured reserve. Elflein will miss the next three games and will be eligible to return as soon as Week 5 against the Seattle Seahawks. 

Elflein certainly had his share of struggles in his career, but he shines more in the run game, the forefront of the Vikings offense. In his first start at right guard, Elflein earned a 70.3 run block grade against the Packers, ranking him 20th among graded guards. 

The probable fill-ins at this moment are either Dru Samia or rookie Ezra Cleveland. Samia, the fourth round pick from Oklahoma in 2019, only saw snaps on the offensive line last year in the regular season finale. He was the starting right guard for the Oklahoma group that won The Joe Moore award for the best collegiate offensive line.

Meanwhile, Cleveland, the former Boise State left tackle, might get his first shot after the Vikings took him 58th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. Despite being 6-foot-6 and playing tackle in college, some projected Clevland to be a better fit at the guard position. 

The loss of Elflein will most likely be noticed most in Sunday’s matchup with the Indianapolis Colts. Elflein’s replacement will see a lot of DeForest Buckner, a second team All-Pro selection last season.

Share: