Will the Vikings’ 2nd-Round Selection and Current RG1 be Traded Away?
How secure is Ed Ingram’s roster spot? Chosen 59th overall back in 2022, most Minnesotans would likely assume it’s quite safe.
Already, the 2022 NFL Draft class has been trimmed down to 70% of the original total. Defensive end Esezi Otomewo got cut. Offensive tackle Vederian Lowe was traded. Most recently, the Vikings’ 2nd-Round corner — Andrew Booth Jr. — got traded to Dallas in a player-for-player swap that’s more common in the NHL than it is the NFL. The ten selections are thus down to just seven remaining players. One wonders if one or two more will be gone by the time August 27th is finished.
Until now, Ingram has been the starting right guard, a stubborn reality that has frustrated no shortage of Vikings fans. Yes, there was improvement in his sophomore season, but Mr. Ingram is pretty far off from living up to being a 2nd-Round guard.
One wonders, then, about a trade. In consecutive cut down periods, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has traded away an offensive lineman. Back in 2022, Adofo-Mensah shipped out Jesse Davis; in 2023, it was Lowe. Does another get moved in ’24? If so, is it Ed Ingram?
Ed Ingram, The Vikings’ 2nd-Round Selection, a Trade Candidate
Choosing Ingram at 59th wasn’t without some criticism, a truth that remains if we keep things exclusively on football.
The 25-year-old has pretty good size at 6’3″, 307 and graded fairly well in his final season at LSU as the left guard. The assessment from PFF, though, was that he ought to go in the 4th: “Ingram was a starter for the Tigers as a true freshman in 2017. This past year was easily his best as a pass protector, taking home an 82.6 grade in that regard.”
That promising thought was followed by a more negative one: “He’ll be a starting guard in the league, but his lack of development throughout his career is concerning.” So far, that final tidbit — a starter but one with some concerns — has proven to be prescient.
Consider the numbers, courtesy off PFF:
| Year | Sacks | Hits | Pressures | Penalties |
| 2022 | 11 | 18 | 58 | 4 |
| 2023 | 5 | 15 | 42 | 7 |
Notably, there’s some improvement, but the numbers are still discouraging overall. The most recent evidence, the preseason, hasn’t exactly been lights out:
Minnesota’s currently working with quite a few options for the interior of their offensive line. Ironically, the safest bet right now appears to be that Blake Brandel will be the starter at left guard, a position he has never played in the NFL.
Otherwise, the team is working with Dan Feeney (also the backup center), Michael Jurgens (another backup center), and Dalton Risner as the main options to play at guard. The final name — Mr. Risner — would appear to be a contender for the right guard spot, but it’s a spot he’s never played before and the veteran is working through an injury.
Clearly, though, Minnesota has some concern about Ed Ingram’s level of play. Last week, all of the starters along the offensive line got the chance to sit against Cleveland…except for Ed Ingram. Consider the sack that took place in the second quarter:
The Vikings are facing a very manageable 3rd & 2 and are close to midfield. Advantage: Vikings. The problem is that Ingram gets caught up in the d-line’s game, failing to come around to the defender looping inside to create pressure and ultimately get home for the sack. Watch the RG, #67, on the play again. It’s ugly.
Will Ragatz commented on Ingram getting reps on Saturday, concluding, “Ed Ingram being out there with the twos to open this game tells you his starting job is not guaranteed.” The sentiment is true, and yet one wonders if there needs to an extra step: is his roster spot secure? Would a trade offer be able to pry him away?
At some point, the Vikings are going to make a firm decision with Ed Ingram. He’s entering his third season in the NFL, meaning his rookie contract is getting into its final half. Trading him now — a Day 3 selection should be the expectation — would allow for some cap savings and another pick for Kwesi to work with in 2025.
Or, perhaps, the experiment will continue in the hope that more reps, coaching, and time result in steadily better play.
He’s currently scheduled to carry a $1,635,811 cap charge into the year.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.