The Dalton Risner Saga Could Be Nearing the End
Somehow, Dalton Risner remains unsigned.
The starting-level lineman isn’t bound for the Hall of Fame, but he’s capable of keeping a quarterback upright. Generally speaking, NFL teams are willing to hand over money to players who can protect the passer, but Risner has yet again encountered what appears to be a tepid market for his services.
Any sense that his fortunes will change once July gets toward its end? NFL teams are soon to get going with training camp, the official on-ramp for the NFL season. That simple reality may prompt a team to make a stronger offer to the veteran.
Dalton Risner & NFL Training Camps
Do a bit of simple math to help get your head around the issue.
In the NFL, there are 32 teams. Each team has a pair of guards. The league therefore offers a minimum of 64 starters at guard. As the season unfurls, the list of starters grows for a variety of reasons, injury being the most prominent factor. So, too, can suspensions and demotions factor into the mix.
One way of coming at the issue would be to see how many guards qualified within the PFF rankings last season: the total sits at 77 guards. The range of snaps played for the guards in that hierarchy goes from 1,372 at the high end (Washington’s Nick Allegretti) and then 344 at the bottom end (New Orleans’ Nick Saldiveri).
With a 68.1 grade for his 611 snaps on offense, Dalton Risner finished off as PFF’s 22nd-best guard.
A quick look under the hood points toward someone more capable of helping the passing game than the running game. He earned a beefy 76.1 grade for his pass protection but an underwhelming 58.8 grade as a run blocker. A team that really leans on the passing game may therefore be more interested in the veteran lineman.
Recently, Risner’s social media was used to promote the guard. More specifically, the lineman stands alongside former NFL head coach Jon Gruden. The outspoken coach supports Risner, pushing the league’s teams to make a move for the veteran. There’s even a clip from back at the Senior Bowl of the lineman doing well in a rep.
Notably, the top photo on Risner’s social media still has him wearing a Vikings jersey. Any sense at all that he would make sense to bring back?
Dalton Risner plays with excellent energy, working until the whistle is blown. Proving capable of jumping into the right guard spot — something he did for the first time last season while replacing Ed Ingram — increases his value, too.
Consecutive years have involved the guard playing for modest money. Risner commanded a $2,625,000 cap charge in 2023. In 2024, the number shrunk down to $2,410,000. Seeing him get a boatload more than those numbers would qualify as a bit of a surprise given that the offseason is soon to get into training camp and the preseason.
Dalton Risner, who will turn 30 on July 13th, stands at 6’5″ and weighs 312 pounds. He was chosen at No. 41 back in the 2019 NFL Draft after a college career at Kansas State. His initial four seasons involved putting in work for the Broncos before becoming a Viking.
In all likelihood, we’ll soon see if there ends up being a third team for him since training camp can spur action around the NFL, especially if there ends up being injuries. Dalton Risner would be an upgrade over a lot of the expected starters in the NFL, but Minnesota’s investment in LG1 Donovan Jackson alongside RG1 Will Fries makes a starting position in Minnesota very unlikely.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
