Brian O’Neill Caught in a Trial by Fire Situation
When offensive tackle Brian O’Neill joined the Vikings in the 2018 draft, the second-rounder came to practice and had to face Everson Griffen, Danielle Hunter, and Brian Robison. The latter was released after the preseason, but in all likelihood, O’Neill had to deal with him for a few months, too.
Brian O’Neill Caught in a Trial by Fire Situation
Seven years later, O’Neill’s longevity with the organization is only eclipsed by the immortal legend Harrison Smith and hometown hero C.J. Ham. The two-time Pro Bowler has pretty much met an entire generation of pass rushers, but practicing with the 2025 Vikings still ranks among his more challenging tasks, he revealed Monday, when the pads came on for the first time this season.
Asked about the defensive line, he said, “Oh, it’s really good. I was just telling somebody that every day, I get to block an All-Pro edge rusher and then an edge rusher who was a Pro Bowler, who probably should’ve been an All-Pro, who led the NFL in pressures.”
Those two, of course, are Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard. The defenders arrived in the 2024 offseason with the difficult task of replacing the departed Hunter. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is the big winner of that move, as they were both fantastic, meeting not only in the backfield various times in their debut Vikings season, but also at the Pro Bowl. Only Van Ginkel was named a second-team All-Pro; Greenard was snubbed.
“I certainly feel like they are making me better, and I hope that me and the other tackles [help] them as much as they’re helping us,” the veteran blocker added.
The other offensive tackles are the backups, as Christian Darrisaw, another standout player, has not fully returned to team reps.
O’Neill, 29, has become a foundational piece for the organization. The stalwart right tackle has played in 110 games for the Vikings, starting 106 games. He has never logged fewer than 14 games in a season, and that number came in 2023, the season after suffering a torn Achilles in 2022.
He only missed the three games because of a broken bone in his foot. It’s noteworthy, though, that he played through the injury in the crucial late-season game against the Packers. That’s the type of competitor he is, and there’s no Vikings fan who’s not also a big fan of the former Pittsburgh Panther.
Speaking of a competitor, O’Neill spoke highly of Greenard. “He plays angry, which every D-lineman should. He wants it really bad. You can see it in his eyes, you can hear it in the way he talks. You can see it in the way he trained all offseason. This stuff’s really important to him. If it was as important to everybody as it is to JG, we’re in a good spot.”
Greenard sacked opposing passers 12 times, and he added 59 tackles (18 tackles for loss) and 22 QB hits. In the regular season, Greenard ranked third among edge defenders in QB pressures with 80 and first in QB hurries with 59
The former Houston Texan has become one of the scarier pass rushers in all of football. While Van Ginkel is getting the Brian Flores treatment and has numerous jobs to do, Greenard is just hunting signal-callers (and running backs), and he’s fantastic at it.
In the upcoming season, the Vikings hope Dallas Turner is ready to step up, which would allow the two veterans to get an occasional breather, helping them stay fresh for the crucial moments in a game and season.
Regardless, it’s fun to watch the outstanding players compete in practice, and the Vikings have several exceptional players. The trenches will be one of the franchise’s strengths after some down years.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.