The iOL Competition is Starting to Get Crowded

Jan 9, 2022; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins offensive tackle Jesse Davis (77), guard Robert Hunt (68), and guard Solomon Kindley (66) watch from the field after winning the game against the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Don’t let the inactivity at center fool you: the competition will likely be intense for the starting three iOL positions for the Vikings.

Coming into the offseason, many of us made assumptions about three of the starting positions: Christian Darrisaw (LT), Ezra Cleveland (LG), and Brian O’Neill (RT) would be three of the starting five. At this point, it looks like only two of those are locked in. Indeed, the two tackle spots look set unless there’s an injury. From there, it’s anyone’s guess how things will shake out along the iOL.

To my mind, the Vikings would be wise to lean on Cleveland at LG, but I have very little sway within the organization. They sunk the 59th selection into Ed Ingram, a LG from LSU. Ingram previously navigated very serious off-field accusations. Plus, the broader consensus was that he was more of a late-third or fourth rounder instead of a second-round pick. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah saw things differently, so Ingram is now competing with Cleveland.

Chris Reed is a good player, someone who should stabilize the floor at one of the guard spots. It makes more sense to see if he can stick around at RG. Most of his recent experience is along the left side, but it would still be surprising to see him leapfrog both Cleveland and Ingram.

If he sticks on the right side, Reed will need to fend off Jesse Davis and Wyatt Davis. Heck, Oli Udoh may also get a shot to show that he’s a capable guard. At this point, the advantage seems to lean toward either Reed or Jesse Davis since they’re veterans who played significant snaps last season.

Finally, we find ourselves at the center position. Garrett Bradbury currently looks like the C1 since there isn’t too much competition. The team brought aboard a center as an UDFA and they previously signed Austin Schlottmann. Unless they make a move for J.C. Tretter, Bradbury will be the clear favorite. The one caveat we can add here is that the Vikings have a lot of players along the iOL. Might they try Wyatt Davis at center? Perhaps they’ll give Cleveland or Reed a shot.

It’ll be hard for Minnesota to reach their potential if the iOL continues to be really poor. At least one or two players will need to emerge from the competition, solidifying themselves as strong players.



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