Christian Darrisaw Gets a Double Dose of Pro Bowl Talent at Practices
Josh Frey
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What’s the saying, iron sharpens iron? Well, it’s certainly the case for the Minnesota Vikings in the trenches as the offensive line and defensive front practice against one another. On one side, you’ve got right tackle Brian O’Neill, one of the most proven, yet under-appreciated, pass protectors in all the NFL. Opposite O’Neill on the left side, Christian Darrisaw is looking to improve upon the roller coaster year that was his rookie season.
There’s no better way to get better for Year Two than going up against some of the best pass-rushers the NFL has to offer. Darrisaw gets to see not one, but two of them on a daily basis. This is due to even more changes that the Vikings defensive scheme.
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Ed Donatell has already turned the strategy up on its head with the transition from Minnesota’s traditional 4-3 defense to a 3-4 setup. On top of this, the Vikings new defensive coordinator is switching up which side of the field players line up on.
It’s seemed for a long time that this new regime has a focus on a more “position-less” approach to football, and Danielle Hunter playing on the right side as opposed to his traditional left side is just the latest evidence of that. Both he and Za’Darius Smith have evidently been swapping sides of the field, something that, if executed in a game, will only cause more headaches for opposing offenses.
It causes headaches for opposition, but Darrisaw will no doubt benefit from it. The duo of Hunter and Smith instantly becomes one of the most dynamic in the league as long as they can remain healthy. In 2019, they combined for 28 sacks on their respective teams. Darrisaw will get the benefit of practicing against this unit every day. Not only that, but he’ll be getting snaps against each player and their unique pass-rush skillsets.
Christian Darrisaw made some great strides down the stretch of the 2021 season. Playing against a terrific defense will only develop the young tackle even further for 2022. Iron sharpens iron.
