There’s 1 Team the Vikings Could Call for LT Help
Christian Darrisaw’s brutal season-ending knee injury might hurt the Vikings more than the second loss of the season, at least in the long run. Despite entering the season without any expectations in a so-called transition year, Minnesota’s football team started 5-0 and was primed to reach for the NFC North title and make a deep playoff run just eight days ago.
There’s 1 Team the Vikings Could Call for LT Help
Losing a player for the year who no one on the roster can replace, and possibly there’s no adequate replacement in the entire league, will hurt the Vikings as they now have to rethink their offensive gameplan.
Standing in the pocket for over three seconds and attacking the defense vertically is much harder to execute with a backup-level left tackle compared to the possibilities with a dominant All-Pro-caliber player. Running back Aaron Jones also lost his top run blocker.
The potential replacements on the team are veteran swing tackle David Quessenberry, left guard Blake Brandel, and rookie Walter Rouse.
But what if the Vikings want a more established left tackle to protect quarterback Sam Darnold’s blindside? Well, the Jacksonville Jaguars could help. The AFC South team acquired Minnesota’s left guard Ezra Cleveland a year ago at the trade deadline, and the general managers should give each other a call once again.
Jacksonville is a team with many problems as they continue to disappoint in the 2024 season despite having a talented roster. Part of that talented roster of the 2-6 team is the offensive line. The Jaguars employ a pair of left tackles, and the Vikings should make a move to bring one to the Twin Cities.
The starter is Cam Robinson, a veteran left tackle, and his backup, Walker Little, is one of the better backups in the league, so it makes sense to part ways with one of them, especially because they are both in the final years of their contracts.
Little, 25, was drafted in 2021, the same year as Darrisaw. He went in the second round despite barely having played football in his final two collegiate seasons. Still, a highly recruited player with two great years of play was an NFL-caliber player, according to the Jaguars. Interestingly, he was selected with the 45th pick, the exact one the Vikings sent to Jacksonville for pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue.
Currently in his fourth season, Little has appeared in 48 career games, starting 18 of those. He has played over 1,200 career snaps on offense, most as a left tackle. Despite his draft position, he has never obtained a full-time starting spot. His PFF resume shows average play in all four of his seasons, though.
Robinson, meanwhile, comes with the track record of a longtime starter. The 34th overall pick from 2017 has spent his entire career with the Jaguars and started all 91 career games. Robinson comes with an expensive contract, costing the Vikings roughly $9 million for the remainder of the 2024 season before entering free agency.
The 29-year-old is not a dominant force on the left side of the offensive line, but he is a solid blocker and is perhaps the best available option.
Of course, both players would cost the Vikings something in return, but considering they are in the final years of their contracts and Jacksonville’s problems at 2-6, they might go into seller mode rather quickly.
There’s a good chance that a late-round pick could lure one of them to the Twin Cities.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt