Kwesi Deserves a Medal for 1 Stunning Upgrade
The Minnesota Vikings have carried the same problem for years. At the center and guard positions, the team had been bereft of a solid group for quite some time, but GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah finally addressed the matter following a year that once again uncovered the issue late in the season. Head coach Kevin O’Connell requested reinforcements after the playoff loss, and he surely got his wish.
Kwesi Deserves a Medal for 1 Stunning Upgrade
At guard, Donovan Jackson and Will Fries are supposed to elevate the spots left and right of the center to decent levels.
That center position, however, is fascinating. The Vikings entered the offseason with Garrett Bradbury under contract for one more season, which would’ve been his seventh as Minnesota’s primary snapper.
When free agency opened, though, as one of the first arrivals in the Twin Cities, the GM added Ryan Kelly, a four-time Pro Bowler who had spent his entire career with the Colts. A few days later, Bradbury was axed and Kelly formally took over the starting job.
This week, PFF continued their posts to highlight the top 32 players at each position. Kelly and new-Patriot Bradbury were listed, of course.
Their difference on the list shows how much of an upgrade Adofo-Mensah made.
Kelly came in 8th: “A series of injuries cut short Kelly’s final season in Indianapolis, and now the veteran hopes to return to form in Minnesota. While his grading profile took a hit in 2024, he isn’t far removed from a career year in 2023, when he was one of just two centers to post a 75.0-plus PFF grade as a pass protector and a run blocker, powered by his 78.3 PFF pass-blocking grade — the highest among qualifying centers.”
Injuries and age have caught up with the veteran blocker, but he’s still fantastic whenever he’s on the field, and his balance between run and pass is rare. Compared to Bradbury, who was solid in the ground game but struggled against pass-rushers, that should be a nice change, especially considering O’Connell’s tendency to pass the ball.
Kelly has played in 121 games, all with the Colts. A former first-rounder, Kelly went to Pro Bowls in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2023. If the Vikings can keep him on the field, he’ll be a decent player. He’s under contract for two seasons.
To find Bradbury, one has to scroll down the list all the way to 25th.
Mason Cameron, who assembled the list, wrote: “Following a tough year of injuries, longtime Patriots center David Andrews retired from the NFL, opening the door for a new face. Former first-rounder Cole Strange, who played some center last season, and rookie Jared Wilson could see time there. The expectation is that Bradbury will become New England’s starter in the middle. While Bradbury has a checkered history, particularly as a pass protector, he is a solid run blocker, having ranked in the 80th percentile in positively graded run-play rate over the past three seasons.”
Bradbury is a below-average center, but he’s still a starting-caliber player. In Minnesota, he handled the center duties for six seasons and logged 88 starts. He also missed games in three of his six seasons. The former Viking will now try to protect Drake Maye as a teammate of Stefon Diggs and Joshua Dobbs.
After a decade of struggles up front, the Vikings enter the season with an offensive line that, on paper, is one of the team’s strengths. Folks might need a few games to get used to it, but it could be a fun ride.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
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