The Minnesota Vikings have patched enough holes along the offensive front to calm some nerves heading into the 2022 season, even though there’s clearly a lot of work that still needs to be done.
It’s more of a wait-and-see situation for a unit that ended the 2021 season as Pro Football Focus’ 23rd-ranked offensive line in the NFL. As of right now, with the kick-off to the 2022 season still months away, the Vikings have moved up four spots to claim No. 19 on the list.
Michael Renner of PFF wrote:
“This could sneakily be the best offensive line of quarterback Kirk Cousins‘ Vikings career. Much of that, though, comes down to the development of the team’s 2021 first-round pick, Christian Darrisaw. Darrisaw earned a 71.9 overall grade on 652 snaps last season and got stronger as the campaign wore on.”
Darrisaw recently landed on our list as the main breakout candidate for the Vikings in 2022.
The former first-round draft pick from Virginia Tech has the potential to be one of those star players that serves as a longtime fixture for the Vikings at left tackle. With Brian O’Neill playing at right tackle, the duo creates one of the more formidable one-two punches in the league.
The problem for the Vikings has mainly been the interior portion of the line, where center Garrett Bradbury has been surprisingly inconsistent.
There have also been struggles at right guard with Oli Udoh being in over his head throughout the 2021 season. The hope now is that Chris Reed, Jesse Davis and rookie Ed Ingram can add a significant boost to the offensive front as replacement starters or reserve pieces.
If the Vikings can’t consistently win in the trenches, all of the firepower in the world won’t mean a thing for the offense.
