Blake Brandel, Jumbo Tight End & Swing Tackle
K. Joudry
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It’d be very easy to look past Blake Brandel. After all, he’s a depth lineman entering his third season after being selected in the 6th round of the draft.
Nevertheless, I’ll suggest that Vikings fans ought to keep him in mind. Everyone has hope that Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill will form a great tackle tandem. What happens, though, if one gets hurt? Who is next in line? Currently, it looks like a competition between Brandel, Oli Udoh, and Vederian Lowe. Jesse Davis – who will compete for the starting RG spot – might also receive consideration.
My point, then, is that Blake Brandel may find himself in an underrated but very important role: backup swing tackle.
Coming out of college, draft experts suggested that Brandel was someone who lacked high-level athleticism, leading to him falling to the sixth round. What he did have, though, was strong college production and then great technique. It made sense to bet on these attributes in the later rounds.
Last year, Brandel received opportunity to get onto the field when Minnesota wanted to give teams a heavier look. He ended playing 65 snaps, and PFF puts 64 snaps at TE. To be clear, Blake Brandel wasn’t in the game so he could burn it down the seams. Rather, he was relied on to open lanes for the runner, help to slow an elite EDGE, and provide picks in the passing game. Look at this TD from Tyler Conklin; it doesn’t happen unless Brandel runs the surprise crossing route:
Now, I’m not trying to suggest Blake Brandel is going to morph into Trent Williams. What I’m trying to suggest is that the Vikings found a way to use him in a variety of ways last season. Coming out of college, he looked like someone who could develop into a solid depth piece. He looks like he may finally fulfill that role while also chipping in as a jumbo TE. It’s a unique job that may give the Vikings offense another layer of complexity.
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