Offensive line is a position group that has haunted the Minnesota Vikings for some time. What has plagued them has been a series of poor draft picks, rough free agent signings and bad development.
Over the last few years, the Vikings have started to find hits, especially at tackle. Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill are two of the best tackles in the National Football League. On the interior, Ed Ingram is slowly developing and Garrett Bradbury is fine but replaceable.
With the current state of the offensive line, left guard is currently open as are the backup offensive line spots. Who could the Vikings choose to bring in to help fortify the offensive line? One seems like a near certainty at left guard so we focused on rotational guys behind the starters.
Dalton Risner
This one feels like a slam dunk. Risner signed with the Vikings before week three after hoping for a big money contract. He has a personal relationship with offensive line coach Chris Kuper and played relatively well when he stepped in for Ezra Cleveland. The one element that will be interesting with how the Vikings pursue offensive linemen this offseason is if they show a preference with either pass blocking or run blocking. Risner is a significantly better pass blocker than run blocker.
Oli Udoh
Udoh was the swing tackle for the Vikings this season but ended the year in week two with a torn quadriceps tendon. Not only has Udoh been a tackle for the Vikings, he has played guard as well. That kind of flexibility is paramount when talking about your depth offensive linemen. With how Udoh has developed over the last few seasons, don’t be surprised if they end up making a deal happen.
Yosh Nijman
The Packers drafted Nijman in 2020 and he served as a capable swing tackle for them. In 2023, Njgman played in 15 games on offense and amassed 259 snaps. He had a pass-blocking PFF grade of 59.3 (lowest of his career) and a run-blocking grade of 57.7 (second lowest). The previous two years saw Nijman post better grades but he also played more snaps, potentially showing that more snaps make and impact on his play.
Matt Feiler
Feiler has been a capable guard over the course of his career. After spending four seasons in Pittsburgh, Feiler played for the Los Angeles Chargers for two years, amassing over 1,100 snaps in each while spending the 2023 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He struggled in his six games as a starter before suffering a knee injury that ended his season. Feiler will be 32 years old at the start of the 2024 season. If he can’t find a starting job, coming in as the sixth offensive linemen with Minnesota makes a lot of sense.
Isaiah Wynn
Wynn was a first round pick of the New England Patriots in 2018 as a tackle but has shifted to play guard last season with the Miami Dolphins. After peaking with an 82.6 PFF grade in 2020, Wynn has seen a steep decline over the last three seasons all the way down to a 47.8 grade in 2023. He suffered an injury to his quad in week seven. With versatility to play inside and outside, Wynn would be a nice addition to the offensive line room at a likely inexpensive cost.
Brian Allen
This would be a classic Kevin O’Connell move. Multiple times since he joined the Vikings as head coach, O’Connell has brought in players that he worked with when he’s the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. Allen was released this week by the Rams and is a very similar archetype player to Garrett Bradbury. He was a starter in 2019 and 2021 bnut he’s only played 407 snaps over the last two season, including only playing in three games in 2023. Allen isn’t someone you want as a starter but playing as a reserve center makes a ton of sense, especially when you consider how much he would command.
