Teetering on Foundational Change, Vikings Might Have OL Figured Out
Dustin Baker
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If the Minnesota Vikings do not make an emergency playoff push down the stretch of the 2021 season, all signs indicate the team will experience upheaval at the head coaching and [maybe] general management position — and perhaps even quarterback, too.
And that might occur just as the Vikings offensive line finally solidifies.
Nothing is certain about Minnesota’s likelihood to change the head coach, but missing out on the playoffs (or receiving a shellacking in the first round) would probably spell wholesale change among the team’s leadership. Mike Zimmer has been in charge for eight years, leading the Vikings to the postseason three times, with two playoff wins as a result. The Zimmer Vikings never encounter terrible seasons, yet the underwhelming, mediocre ones are piling up.
Ironically, the biggest criticism of Zimmer’s team since 2014 is the inability to formulate a coherent pass-blocking offensive line — once and for all. Sam Bradford, Case Keenum, and Kirk Cousins experienced too much heat from opposing pass rushers compared to other good NFL teams.
Well, in recent weeks — wouldn’t you know it — a productive offensive line solution crawled out of the cellar.
In his rookie campaign, left tackle Christian Darrisaw has notched a 66.6 grade from Pro Football Focus, a marvelous maiden voyage to build upon in 2022. Injuries are a concern, but sometimes that’s the nature of the beast in the NFL. Darrisaw has missed the last two games and could return soon. Regardless, he seems to fit the mold of precisely what general manager Rick Spielman had in mind — a left tackle of the future. Finally.
Next to him is left guard Ezra Cleveland, a second-year trenchman with a 65.5 PFF score. While Cleveland isn’t gangbusters — few Vikings offensive linemen in the last decade are — he’s a startable, quality guard. Plus, he’s young.
In the middle is the question mark. Center Garrett Bradbury was a 1st-Round pick in 2019, possessing high hopes to remedy the guts of Minnesota’s offensive trenches. To date, Bradbury is a fine run-blocker but struggles in pass protection. A looming decision in 2022 arrives at the Vikings doorstep on opting for Bradbury’s fifth-year contractual option. He might stay with the team into 2023 — or he could depart, signaling a swing-and-a-miss from Spielman. However, there is this:
For right guard, Minnesota moved ex-Arizona Cardinals center Mason Cole to that spot. He’s excelled, showcasing competence at right guard — a first for the Vikings in a few seasons. Cole has tabulated a 75.3 grade from PFF in 2021, the third-highest grade through 13 games of 2021 for any Vikings offensive player. The trade bringing him to the Vikings might just be a gem by Spielman.
Finally — old faithful — right tackle Brian O’Neill has anchored a poor Vikings offensive line for a handful of seasons. The University of Pittsburgh alumnus isn’t going anywhere no matter what, signing a deal last summer to stay in purple and gold colors through the end of 2026. O’Neill is the real deal and could go down as one of the most reliable Vikings offensive linemen since the days of Bryant McKinnie and Steve Hutchinson.
This fivesome needs more playing time to “prove it,” but the combination is the most exciting a Vikings team has put on the field since 2010.
It’s just wildly ironic and bizarre that the group is alas jelling when Zimmer could be on his way out — after the franchise begged Zimmer to find a suitable offensive line for seven years.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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