The Lingering Vikings Problem and The Solution Hiding in Plain Sight
With Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill, Minnesota has a tackle tandem that’s the envy of most of the NFL (as long as they’re healthy). The recent issue has always been the interior of the offensive line.
To widespread acclaim, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has addressed the Vikings problem by doing deals with center Ryan Kelly and right guard Will Fries, both former Colts. Blake Brandel was the LG1 all of last season, performing at an average level. Does he elevate his game with further time to develop or will there be an addition to add more competition? If so, then someone is hiding in plain sight: Dalton Risner.
The Vikings Problem at Left Guard
Consider what Will Ragatz of Sports Illustrated had to say in a post that was considering the outlook for Minnesota’s front five: “Still plenty of time to add competition for Brandel/Ingram at left guard.”
Indeed.
One wonders if there’s a name missing from that competition. Yes, Brandel and Ingram are both still on the roster, making them the most obvious names to vie for that opening, especially since Ingram was a left guard in college. Don’t forget, though, that Risner had always been a left guard before being asked to switch sides last year.
Last year, Risner earned a 67.0 PFF grade, largely due to a sturdy 76.2 pass-blocking grade. Again, he was doing so while playing on the opposite side of the line, something that a lot of linemen struggle with doing. He didn’t commit a penalty and nor did he allow a sack. He did, however, allow 1 QB hit alongside 16 pressures in his 537 snaps as the RG1.
The year before, Risner put in 745 snaps as the LG1 in Minnesota. He committed a trio of penalties but didn’t allow a sack. He allowed the QB to be hit 11 times and was responsible for allowing 30 pressures. Step back and his PFF grade was sitting at 57.1 but with a 67.4 pass-blocking grade.
Dalton Risner, 30 in July, stands at 6’5″ and weighs 312 pounds. He was drafted at No. 41 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. He immediately became a starter for the Broncos, starting a total of 62 games in his time in Denver.
After coming over to Minnesota, Risner had to wait his turn to get into the lineup. At first, there was Ezra Cleveland as the starter at left guard. An injury to Cleveland before a trade down to Jacksonville solidified Risner’s spot among the front five. Last season, Risner again had to operate as a backup since Brandel moved into the LG1 spot. After some persistent struggles from Ingram, Risner got moved into the RG1 opening.
In a lot of ways, the 2025 offseason is about giving J.J. McCarthy a chance at meaningful success. Already, the process is well underway. There were the aforementioned adds to the o-line alongside the retention of Aaron Jones at running back. Oh, and let’s not forget the second-to-none skill, a collection of pass catchers being led by Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson.
There will need to be some depth moves at tight end, receiver, and running back to keep helping the young passer.
But then the focus shifts back up front. Brandel and Ingram could be contenders to hop into the left guard spot. Michael Jurgens, a late-round lineman from the 2024 NFL Draft, will be competing, as well. One might even see if Walter Rouse could get the job done after Vikings executive Ryan Grigson talked about the college tackle kicking inside.
The question the Vikings need to be asking is if any of these options will be better than Dalton Risner. Again, the emphasis rests on giving McCarthy the best chance possible of thriving early in his career.
In the past, Dalton Risner has expressed his desire for a strong payday as a free agent. Maybe Minnesota offers a medium deal to get him back to the Twin Cities to help beef up the pass protection.
His most recent deal with the Vikings was for a single season and $2,410,000.
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 social media (Bluesky & Twitter). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.