Vikings Appear to Complete a Veteran’s Position Switch
Prior to being a guard, Blake Brandel was an offensive tackle. The Vikings appear to have fully switched him to his new position.
The Week 2 game ended up going very poorly for Minnesota, resulting in a 22-6 defeat. A major part of the issue rested in the performance from the offensive line, a group that was overwhelmed, overmatched, and (so far) overrated. Does Christian Darrisaw get back in time to help blow wind in the Vikings’ sails? Or, perhaps, do the depth linemen continue to get leaned on?
Vikings Appear to Fully Switch Blake Brandel to Guard
As always, actions are what communicate the most in the NFL.
Justin Skule was battling through a poor game before needing to step away for injury. The Vikings, already down Darrisaw, had to lean on a new offensive tackle to step into the game. Sophomore tackle Walter Rouse got the nod. The decision came as a small surprise.
Last offseason, Blake Brandel got re-signed by the Vikings for a trio of seasons at $9,500,000. A decent payday for a depth lineman; a bargain for a starting lineman.
In 2024, Brandel stepped into the LG1 job. He performed at a passable level. Not a disaster but far from dominant. Few, if any, felt that they were seeing Steve Hutchinson return. The Vikings felt that Brandel wasn’t good enough, leading to the decision to opt for Donovan Jackson at No. 24 in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Various theories emerged for what was in store for Blake Brandel.
Perhaps he would function as legitimate competition for the highly-drafted rookie (a possibility Kevin O’Connell undermined). Maybe he would end up getting shipped out prior to the 53-man roster cuts (a possibility that didn’t come to fruition). There was yet the possibility that he could be a depth option who could get plugged into multiple spots (he has proclaimed himself capable of playing all five spots). The final option — being a five-in-one player — has a lot of appeal for a roster that doesn’t have infinite open slots.
As 2025 unfolds, Brandel appears to mostly be a guard.
The top tackles are obviously Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill. When healthy, a top twosome in the NFL. Bringing Justin Skule to town in free agency was about upgrading at the OT3 spot, moving on from David Quessenberry in the process. All well and good.
The surprise, to a certain extent, was seeing Rouse get inserted at LT over Brandel. The veteran has played left tackle in the NFL previously, making him at sensible option to jump into the game in a pinch. Goodness, he was a starter last year, someone who played 100% of the offense’s snaps — 1,117 in total — along the left side of the offensive line. These factors don’t necessarily mean that Brandel is the best option; rather, they combine to suggest Brandel would have been a reasonable one.
But then the moment came for another backup tackle to get into the game. Walter Rouse got the nod to step into a game where J.J. McCarthy was getting hit far too often. The suggestion is that Brandel is now fully a guard, only kicked out to offensive tackle were an emergency to arrive.
Regardless of who plays what position, the blocking needs to be better. McCarthy is nursing an ankle injury, meaning he will need to step away as other passers get tossed into the mix.
Carson Wentz may prove capable of operating the offense at a better level right now. Even if that proves true, Wentz will need better protection from the big fellas upfront. No passer can complete a pass if he is getting suplexed.
The Vikings (1-1) and Bengals (2-0) face each other at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, September 21st. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
