Another Member of the Vikings 2022 Draft Class Is Roaring Towards a Big Role
The Vikings 2022 Draft class has often been scrutinized, but during this season, members of the group have stepped up to take on big roles for the team.
Right guard Ed Ingram has become a very serviceable member on the offensive line while cornerback Akayleb Evans quickly emerged as a key starter with the defense.
Moving forward, another member of the class could be set to take on a larger role with the offense as the Vikings make their final push for the playoffs. That player is running back Ty Chandler, who the Vikings took in the fourth round back in April 2022.
Another Piece of the Vikings 2022 Draft Is Roaring Towards a Big Role
With Alexander Mattison sidelined due to an ankle injury last weekend, Chandler stepped into the RB1 role for the Vikings offense, and he performed wonderfully. The second-year back took on 23 carries throughout the afternoon, and he ripped off 132 rushing yards and his second rushing touchdown of the season.
That rushing total is the most that any Vikings player has had in Kevin O’Connell’s offense and is the most for a Vikings player since Dalvin Cook rattled off 205 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 9th, 2021.
On Wednesday, O’Connell spoke on the Vikings RB room and Chandler’s role in the offense moving forward. “We’re kind of building with the mindset that Ty is going to be a guy that we’re trying to get the ball to a lot both in the run and pass. If we can have Alex that’s gonna be a huge bonus for the depth and making sure we have our full group available.”
A key item to note here is that O’Connell referred to Mattison as “depth” at the running back spot rather than Chandler.
Prior to Week 15’s game against the Bengals, Mattison had been the starter for each of the Vikings’ first 13 games of the season. Even if the fifth-year back is available on Sunday, it seems that things could be in line to change at that starting RB spot moving forward.
It’s a worthy change if it indeed takes place. Chandler’s performance on Saturday was remarkable, and he proved to be an effective and explosive playmaker on the backfield throughout the afternoon, ripping off plenty of chunk yards on first down opportunities.
This is not to say that Mattison hasn’t been playing solid football recently, though. Despite a slow start to the season, the veteran had been ramping things up in terms of his production.
In the three games prior to his ankle injury, Mattison had accrued 38 carries that went for a total of 199 yards, an average of right around 5.2 yards per carry. This is more than acceptable.
Still, Chandler is a player that the Vikings clearly trust right now, and they are hoping he can be a spark plug that ignites their rushing offense even further. We saw him do it last weekend, and hopefully, he is able to do it again against their division rivals.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.