The Vikings’ Temptation to See the Final Puzzle Piece Click into Place
Admittedly, the board would need to fall in a certain manner, but one has to assume that the Vikings’ temptation would be strong if a particular outcome occurs on Thursday night.
Envision a world where guard Grey Zabel is sitting there at No. 24. Do the Vikings go ahead and complete the process of totally overhauling the interior of their offensive line? Doing so would very likely lead to a formidable front-five that’s no longer relying on just a terrific twosome at tackle. Instead, all five could be excellent, further equipping J.J. McCarthy to shine brightly.
The Vikings’ Temptation: A Left Guard at No. 24
Start off with the current starter, Mr. Blake Brandel. He can push his game higher, developing into someone who is an above-average player at his position.
More importantly, of course, is the opinion of Kevin O’Connell. The head coach discussed his versatile veteran earlier in the offseason, describing a player who had an up-and-down season: “I will say, we wanted to make a commitment last year to Blake, and see what it looked like over the course of a whole season. I thought over the first five, six games, when you really took a step back with him playing next to Christian Darrisaw, he played at a pretty darn high level. There were some moments in there where I really thought Blake was taking that next step.”
Furthermore, O’Connell is gearing up for an open competition, one that sees Brandel leading the race but needing to fend off Michael Jurgens before reaching the finish line in September.
O’Connell’s thoughts on Brandel being the current starter, at least in pencil: “I think Blake [Brandel] and [Michael] Jurgens both inside we’d like to see them at a variety of different spots, but I think if we went out and played right now I think that’s the way we would likely look. Long way to go, still some options, opportunities with our four draft picks. And ultimately we’ll see what it looks like.”
Catch that at the end? Kevin O’Connell acknowledged that his team has some draft picks to use, suggesting the LG competition could earn a new combatant. What happens if Kevin O’Connell drops Zabel into that competition? Does the team get a new LG1 in time for Week 1?
Consider the word from the NFL’s website: “Tough-guy profile on this prospect coming out of North Dakota State. Zabel has an NFL frame with room for additional mass and possesses a good starting point in terms of his play strength. He has to play with really quick hands and good feet in order to compensate for short arms that make sustaining blocks and controlling pass rushers more challenging. Teams might ask Zabel to snap during draft season in order to project positional flexibility.”
And then the insight courtesy of PFF, a spot that puts Zabel at 27th on their board: “Zabel is a five-position lineman who brings everything but elite arm length to the position. He is an easy projected starter at center or guard for primarily a zone blocking scheme, but he is well-rounded enough to be run-game versatile.”
A player comparison that comes to mind (at least in a general sense) is Green Bay’s Elgton Jenkins, a do-it-all lineman who can excel all across the front five. Jenkins, who is a sturdy 6’5″, 311, has played most of his snaps at left guard but has literally played every o-line position; Zabel, who is 6’6″, 305, has literally played every o-line position while in college.
Does Zabel have a path toward a career that mirrors Jenkins? If so, then sinking No. 24 into him would make a pile of sense.
To be sure, there are voices out there who think that Kevin O’Connell’s Vikings should sink their top pick into the o-line. On PurplePTSD, Janik Eckardt responds to Adam Rank’s Zabel endorsement. Eckardt writes, “Zabel would be the final puzzle piece for an overhauled offensive line. The franchise has already swapped out two-thirds of the interior offensive line, getting rid of center Garrett Bradbury by cutting him and guard Ed Ingram, who was traded to Houston for a sixth-rounder that has since been rerouted to the 49ers for Jordan Mason.”
Similarly, Dustin Baker writes about the Zabel suggestion on Vikings Territory. Baker’s thought: “Drafting Grey Zabel would turn the Vikings’ offensive line into beast mode, at least on paper.”
One factor to keep in mind is that inserting a high-end rookie into the mix would help with the o-line budget. Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill are both being paid major money. So, too, did Will Fries land a major deal while Ryan Kelly is operating from within the NFL’s middle class. A rookie-contract starter would help to offset the major money being invested in the front five.
Meanwhile, Kevin O’Connell could slide Blake Brandel back into a backup spot, allowing the hard-working, smart, and versatile lineman to operate as excellent depth.
A move for a high-end left guard would be quite satisfying for a lot of Vikings fans — and, quite possibly, the team’s leadership — since the Vikings’ last game of the year left a bad impression of the front five. Moving ahead with Darrisaw/Zabel/Kelly/Fries/O’Neill up front has its appeal.
Mr. Zabel is 23.
Editor’s Note: Information from 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 social media (Bluesky & Twitter). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.