PFF Ranks Vikings Offensive Tackle Duo Amongst the Best in the NFL for 2023
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle duo of Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill has quickly become one of the most effective in the NFL. That was shown once again by a recent ranking of the top-32 tackles in the league, according to Gordon McGuinness of Pro Football Focus.
Both Darrisaw and O’Neill made the list, with each of them actually appearing in the top-16. This makes them one of nine duos from across the league to appear on the list. Darrisaw came in at No. 5 while O’Neill was No. 16. Only the Philadelphia Eagles had a higher ranking with Lane Johnson coming in at No. 2 and Jordan Mailata being No. 6. Here is the full list of duos that made the top-32:
- Philadelphia Eagles (Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata)
- Minnesota Vikings (Christian Darrisaw, Brian O’Neill)
- Detroit Lions (Penei Sewell, Taylor Decker)
- Baltimore Ravens (Ronnie Stanley, Morgan Moses)
- Dallas Cowboys (Tyron Smith, Terence Steele)
- Indianapolis Colts (Bernhard Raimann, Braden Smith)
- Atlanta Falcons (Jake Matthews, Kaleb McGary)
- Denver Broncos (Garrett Bolles, Mike McGlinchey)
- Las Vegas Raiders (Kolton Miller, Jermaine Eluemunor)
Here is what McGuinness had to say of Darrisaw making the list:
The 23rd selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, Darrisaw impressed as a rookie before taking a big step forward in 2022. Just two players at the position bettered the 90.6 PFF run-blocking grade produced by the former Virginia Tech standout, and while he still needs to improve his consistency in pass protection, his 82.4 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2022 was the eighth-best mark at the position.
The Vikings certainly hit gold with the selection of Darrisaw back in 2021. Even more remarkably, fans will remember that they traded down from the 14th overall pick in order to select him with the 23rd pick. In exchange, Minnesota got a pair of third-round picks in exchange for the No. 14 pick, which ended up being QB Kellen Mond and G Wyatt Davis, both of whom are no longer with the Vikings.
While the trade ended up being a bit of a bust for the Vikings, Minnesota still landed a star in Darrisaw, and they are hoping that this year’s 23rd overall pick, WR Jordan Addison, can perform at a similarly high level for the offense.
Meanwhile, this is what McGuinness said of O’Neill’s play for Minnesota since being drafted in 2018:
The 62nd selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, O’Neill has developed into one of the best right tackles in football, coming off a career-high 82.7 PFF grade in 2022 that ranked eighth among all tackles. Even if that’s his peak, his floor is a player who hasn’t graded below 70.0 in each of the past four seasons, logging more than 1,000 snaps in each of those years, too.
The Vikings right tackle has been the one steady presence throughout the course of Kirk Cousins’ tenure in Minnesota, appearing in 79 of a possible 82 games over his first five seasons.
O’Neill did miss the final game of the 2022 regular season as well as Minnesota’s sole playoff game due to a partially torn Achilles suffered in Week 17 against the Green Bay Packers. However, the reports coming out of Eagan have suggested that he could be back at the beginning of training camp this summer, which is great news for Minnesota as they try to keep full continuity on their offensive line.
Overall, the Vikings tackle tandem should remain elite in 2023, offering strong pass protection for Cousins as he tries to once again help the Vikings offense rank amongst the best in the league in terms of production. For the first time in a long time, there should be confidence in Minnesota’s group at the offensive line.
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.