The Vikings Offensive Foundation Is Set in Stone
With a new general manager and a new head coach taking over control of the team, many Vikings fans expected a complete overhaul of the roster this offseason. So far, this has not been the case. Especially on the offensive side of the ball, the front office has committed significant resources to bringing back last year’s core, most notably by extending quarterback Kirk Cousins.
In an interview last Tuesday, head coach Kevin O’Connell reaffirmed his confidence in the current offensive depth chart. O’Connell suggested that the starting offensive line is just about set in stone, with the exception of the right guard position, which is apparently an open competition.
To determine why O’Connell has such strong confidence in the foundation of the Viking’s offensive line, let’s go over the whole group, position by position.
Left Tackle
At the left tackle position, Rookie Christian Darrisaw showed great potential in his first year in the league. Selected with the 23rd overall pick of the 2021 draft, Darrisaw was able to come in and contribute right away, starting in 10 games last season. The 6’5, 315 lbs. tackle has an elite physical skill set which allows him to push around smaller defenders with minimal effort. As long as Darrisaw is able to stay healthy, the Vikings won’t need to invest any more capital into the left tackle position for the next several years.
Left Guard
Playing alongside Darrisaw at the left guard position is Ezra Cleveland. A second-round draft pick, Cleveland played right guard as a rookie before switching over to the left side last season, where he was extremely durable and dependable, playing all 1,141 offensive snaps in 2021, elevating his play throughout the season.
O’Connell had only good things to say about Cleveland: “I think Ezra is going to have a great offseason and continue his progression,” O’Connell said. “I think you see such a great skill set from his feet, to his hand placement, to his power in his hands. That guys got a lot in his body.”
Left guard is the second position along the offensive line of which the Vikings have received dividends from investing early round round draft capital over the past several years.
Center
One player who may have experienced relief at the news of his job security is former first round pick, Garrett Bradbury. The Vikings selected Bradbury with the #18 overall selection of the 2019 draft. Coming out of the draft, many expected Bradbury to be a plug-and-play starting center. But, things did not work out that way, and Bradbury has struggled at times. However, O’Connell remains optimistic on Bradbury:
“I watched a ton of his tape coming out,” O’Connell said. “And schematically, what we do may be a little different overall from what kind of has been done, that I think could maybe put some tools in his toolbox to have some success consistently, snap-in and snap-out.
Based on O’Connell’s comments, it appears that Garrett Bradbury will remain the starting center heading into the 2022 season.
Right Guard
The right guard position is where things will get interesting this offseason. This will be a position battle between Oli Udoh, Wyatt Davis, and new additions to the roster in Jesse Davis and Austin Schlottman.
- Udoh started 11 games in 2021 and has experience playing in the offense alongside Bradbury and O’Neill.
- Wyatt Davis, a 2021 third-round draft pick, has yet to make an impact on the roster.
- Jesse Davis is an experienced and durable veteran who spent the past 5 seasons with the Dolphins, playing all along the offensive line.
- Austin Schlottman played the past four seasons for the Denver Broncos and will reunite with his former offensive line coach in Minnesota.
- Just yesterday, the Vikings agreed to terms with guard Chris Reed. Reed is a former college teammate of Adam Thielen and played most recently for the Indianapolis Colts, starting in 6 games last season.
This should be an intense battle to watch throughout training camp and the preseason.
Right Tackle
Brian O’Neil, the best player along the Minnesota Vikings offensive line, made his first Pro Bowl in 2021 and the Vikings are fortunate to have him under contract for the next several seasons. Both of the Vikings bookends, their right and left tackles, have tremendous talent and are both under contract for the foreseeable future. So, nothing to worry about there.
To summarize, although the Minnesota Vikings offensive line has struggled over the past several seasons, they have invested sufficient draft capital to give Kevin O’Connell confidence in the foundation of the offense heading into the 2022 season.