The Darrisaw Era Is Oh So Close
Dustin Baker
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For the first time in his young Minnesota Vikings career, Christian Darrisaw was a full participant at practice.
Ordinarily, a “man practicing” is no big deal – men do it daily. But for Darrisaw, it’s meaningful.
Wednesday’s #Vikings injury report pic.twitter.com/jJ2IUy8Hf6
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 29, 2021
And there she is. F.U.L.L.
Darrisaw was selected by the Vikings in the 1st Round of the 2021 NFL Draft to play left tackle as the incumbent Riley Reiff was released to clear cap space. Reiff joined the Cincinnati Bengals while general manager Rick Spielman chose youth via the draft with Virginia Tech’s Darrisaw. Yet, no youth for the left side of the Vikings offensive line has hit the field just yet. Darrisaw underwent surgery late in the summer on his groin, an event that felt sprung on Vikings fans out of nowhere. Darrisaw played in no preseason games, nor has he participated in any regular season games.
But that will change soon. Darrisaw’s competition at left tackle is not stiff. Rashod Hill manned the LT assignment for three weeks, tallying a Pro Football Focus grade of 42.7. That mark ranks third-worst in the NFL among 74 qualifying tackles. Only Alex Leatherwood from the Las Vegas Raiders and Justin Herron of the New England Patriots have scored lower than Hill. The 42.7 grade is not a number that will stave off the 22-year-old Darrisaw. In fact, it makes the likelihood of Darrisaw’s debut all the more pressing.
Minnesota hosts Cleveland this weekend, meaning the task at hand on the defensive line is Myles Garrett. Yes, the man that just sacked Justin Fields 4.5 times in a single game. Lining Darrisaw up against Garrett is not a dream gig – it’s the opposite, actually – but the young man is destined to see ferocious pass rushers weekly anyway. Why wait?
It is unclear if Darrisaw will start this Sunday. The storyline will be one of the team’s most exciting items to follow leading up to kickoff versus Cleveland.
On the whole, the Vikings offensive line has played commendably during the last three weeks. They’re not wretched – and that’s a win for Vikings fans. For too long, Minnesota pasted together offensive lines and hoped for the best. This version is indeed glued together with Hill on the left side, but the bunch is actually pass-protecting. Per PFF, the Vikings pass-blocking ranks 16th in the NFL – a 13-spot climb from where the team finished in 2020.
The trenches are improving.
Oli Udoh, a third-year right guard, was named the starter in training camp at Dakota Dozier and Dru Samia’s old spot. Minnesota had luck developing Udoh, so the necessity for another rookie, Wyatt Davis, to play is lessened this season. Outside of Hill, the offensive trenches are in reasonable shape, a phrase not often associated with the Zimmer brand of Vikings.
Assuming Darrisaw isn’t lousy, his addition on the line is an agent of hope. Minnesota has not employed a consistent left tackle arguably since the days of Bryant McKinnie. And that was 10 years ago. The aforementioned Reiff did a good job most of the time, but he was not dominant.
Darrisaw has the talent to be McKinnie-like. That’s the goal.
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).