Vikings Star Misses Out on Top 10 List
The Minnesota Vikings drafted Christian Darrisaw in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, getting an absolute steal with the 23rd overall pick. After dealing with some injury troubles during his rookie season, holding him to just 10 starts, he truly blossomed in year two, starting 14 games at left tackle (missing time because of a concussion), and the Vikings star became one of the most fearsome offensive linemen in the league, drawing comparisons to Trent Williams.
However, not everyone seems to be entirely impressed by the Vikings offensive tackle’s growth over the past season. Jeff Kerr from CBS Sports ranked his ten best tackles in the NFL, and Darrisaw missed out on the top 10 list. He merely landed among the ten offensive tackles ‘in consideration’ and was only placed as an honorable mention.
It goes to show how much young talent is currently in the league at offensive tackle right now, with Penei Sewell (10), Rashawn Slater (8), Andrew Thomas (5), and Tristan Wirfs (4) being players on the list that are under the age of 25.
There are also plenty of veterans with talent, though. Trent Williams tops the list out of San Francisco with Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson at No. 2, and Laremy Tunsil comes in at No. 3 with the Houston Texans.
Meanwhile, Terron Armstead landed in sixth, Jordan Mailata seventh, and Green Bay Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari found himself in ninth despite playing just 24 regular season games over the past three years.
It would be tough to take any of these players off the list, but Darrisaw has proven he belongs in the group of elite NFL tackles. In 2022, Pro Football Focus graded him out at 90.4 for his efforts, third best among all offensive linemen last year, trailing only Williams (91.7) and Chris Lindstrom (95.0).
Additionally, Darrisaw was one of just seven offensive linemen to be given grades of 80.0 or better in both pass protection and run blocking for the 2022 season. He joins an elite group that includes Joel Bitonio, Creed Humphrey, Lindstrom, Jason Kelce, Williams, and Thomas.
Overall, the one knock on the Vikings left tackle to this point is his health. He probably needs to get through a full season completely healthy before being a lock for top 10 lists like this, but when on the field, it’s tough to find a player with more talent than Darrisaw.
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.
