Vikings Land Starting Offensive Lineman
Dustin Baker
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The Minnesota Vikings made a much-anticipated move Monday, landing a starting offensive lineman from the Miami Dolphins, Jesse Davis.
Such a transaction was long-awaited as the 2021 Vikings offensive line ranked 27th in the NFL for pass protection per Pro Football Focus, and onlookers of the team hoped the new leadership regime of Kwesi Adodo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell would take steps toward repair.
Davis was the right tackle for the Miami Dolphins in 2021, playing 92% of all offensive snaps. He was an undrafted free agent from the 2017 draft class from the University of Idaho, arriving in Miami and remaining until now.
During his first two seasons in Miami, he played at right guard as the starter (2017 and 2018). In the last five years, Davis has been on the field for at least 90% of the Dolphins offensive snaps in each season.
The man plays a lot — and starts.
Of course, he could become a “utility” offensive lineman for Minnesota in the vein of Josh Kline or Brett Jones of yesteryear. Yet, based on the $3 million from the Tomasson tweet, Davis is theorized as the starting right guard, at least per March estimation.
Davis isn’t a homerun signing like a JC Trotter or Brandon Scherff would have offered. Still, he is an improvement to Dakota Dozier or Dru Samia — and Oli Udoh’s penalities. This is Davis’ PFF resume through five seasons:
- 2017 = 52.5
- 2018 = 59.2
- 2019 = 58.9
- 2020 = 62.6
- 2021 = 52.5
Too, Davis could be a piece to inspire competition this summer. The roster now includes the aforementioned Udoh and second-year guard Wyatt Davis, who mysteriously experienced very little playing time in 2021 with former head coach Mike Zimmer in charge. And 3rd-Round offensive linemen usually sniff regular season action, especially those as highly-touted as Davis at the collegiate level.
The Vikings could also draft a guard this April and really fill up the room for competition. The franchise has most of its draft picks, sans a 4th-Rounder sent to the New York Jets last year for tight end Chris Herndon.
Minnesota also reportedly met with cornerback Nate Hairston on Monday, a free-agent cornerback from the Denver Broncos.
Davis is 30 years old.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. 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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