How The Minnesota Vikings Built Their Offensive Line

K. Joudry |

Sep 2, 2022

Nov 1, 2020; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook (33) celebrates with offensive tackle Ezra Cleveland (72) after scoring a touchdown in the third quarter during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

If things proceed as expected, the Minnesota Vikings will have five starters on the offensive line who were all drafted by the team.

Below, you’ll find a chart that lists the projected five starters alongside some info for when they were chosen in the draft.

Player	Position	Draft
Darrisaw, Christian	LT	RD1, Pick 23 (2021)
Cleveland, Ezra	LG	RD2, Pick 58 (2020)
Bradbury, Garrett	C	RD1, Pick 18 (2019)
Ingram, Ed	RG	RD2, Pick 59 (2022)
O’Neill, Brian	RT	RD2, Pick 62 (2018)

Shout out to PFR for helping me remember a few of the small details.

As the chart demonstrates, the Minnesota Vikings have made a concerted effort to spend high draft picks on the offensive line. In a few years, they were able to put together an entire starting five made up of exclusively their own picks.

The #Vikings starting 5 OL have all been drafted by the team. They've all been added in either RD1 or RD2.
— K. Joudry (@VikingsGazette) August 30, 2022

Now, we should remember that drafting one’s own o-line isn’t the ultimate goal. Rather, the goal is to build a strong front five, a group that allows the offense to stay true to its offensive identity.

If that means quite a bit running, play-action passes, and intermediate crossing routes, then the OL needs to be capable of pulling off the blocks to make that happen. Whether the players come as draft picks, free agents, or in trades, the ultimate goal is to put together a group that allows the team to fulfill its vision for the offense.

Here are the leaders in rosters with homegrown players (not including PS). Massive turnaround by the Bills over last two to three years. pic.twitter.com/qZGSXHCypo
— Jason_OTC (@Jason_OTC) September 2, 2022

If things go well, then the Vikings OL can achieve the goal of actualizing the coach’s vision for the offense.

The tackle tandem will likely be strong, and there is a lot of optimism surrounding the two guards. The team has a lot of depth at center, so the iOL has potential. Whoever is snapping the ball will need to keep proving that he’s better than at least two or three other players.

It’s also notable that several of the depth offensive linemen have also been drafted by Minnesota. Vederian Lowe, Blake Brandel, and Oli Udoh are all late-round picks from recent Vikings drafts. Austin Schlottmann and Chris Reed are the only two on the roster to have begun their NFL careers elsewhere.

In recent years, the Minnesota Vikings offensive line has received a lot of criticism. O’Connell’s presence signals a fresh start, though. A strong opening week performance against a talented GB defense will be enough to convince a lot of fans that we may witness an improved o-line in 2022.

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