Vikings Offensive Line Competition Begins
As free agency continues to unfold, the Vikings continue to add pieces to the offensive line. This is a welcomed sign for fans as we have watched our offensive line struggle in recent years. With the recent additions of Jesse Davis and Chris Reed, the Vikings’ offensive line competition is beginning to heat up.
During Kevin O’Connell’s recent press conference, he said that the guard position would be an open competition. At first, the competition was between Jesse Davis and Wyatt Davis. However, Chris Reed adds another dimension.
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It appears that the Vikings will have open competition for both guard positions. The outcome of the competition is crucial because the guards have been the cause of many disasters over the last two years. Dru Samia, Pat Elflein, and Oli Udoh all struggled in their own ways.
Thankfully, their time has ended, and now we can look forward to a new set of guards. The offensive line will look this:
- LT – Christian Darrisaw
- LG – Ezra Cleveland or Chris Reed or Jesse Davis or Oli Udoh
- C – Garrett Bradbury
- RG – Jesse Davis or Chris Reed or Wyatt Davis or Oli Udoh
- RT – Brian O’Neill
The Vikings have five potential guards who will battle it out in training camp. Let’s take a look at how the competition will play out.
Ezra Cleveland Will be LG
Let’s start with the left guard. While it certainly appears to be a competition here, it seems like Ezra Cleveland has it in the bag. However, this is the NFL, and you need to show up and be the best, or someone else will be taking your spot.
The goal is to put the five best linemen on the field. After last year’s performance, it certainly feels like Ezra Cleveland would be the best choice for this position. He took a step in a positive direction from this rookie year to his second year.
2020
- Snaps Played – 622
- PFF Grade – 66.2
- Penalties – 1
- Sacks Allowed – 5
2021
- Snaps Played – 1140
- PFF Grade – 68.6
- Penalties – 3
- Sacks Allowed – 1
Cleveland played nearly twice as many snaps in 2021 as he did in 2020 and gave up four fewer sacks. Yes, he had a couple more penalties, but overall it was a vast improvement. Hopefully, this trend will continue.
Right Guard Competition
The right guard position is where the true competition will be held. Oli Udoh struggled mightily in 2021 and was eventually replaced by Mason Cole. However, Mason Cole did not re-sign with the Vikings for the 2022 season. Kwesi elected to bring in a couple of other guys in free agency.
The additions of Jesse Davis and Chris Reed will add some life to the offensive line. At first glance, it appears that Jesse Davis will be the starter. However, as Kevin O’Connell said, this is an open competition.
First off, let’s begin with Oli Udoh. He played 1075 snaps in 2021. He only gave up one sack during this time, but he probably would have given up 10 if he didn’t have 16 penalties. It seems that Udoh would be lucky to make the team in 2022, let alone be the starting right guard.
Wyatt Davis didn’t get a fair shot to win the right guard competition in 2021 due to an injury he had throughout training camp. When coming out of college, many people had him as a potential first-round draft pick, but he fell to the late third round. He can certainly win the right guard spot, but it feels like an uphill battle.
This leaves us with Jesse Davis and Chris Reed. In my opinion, Jesse Davis will win this competition. When playing the right guard position in 2020, he was good. Although anything can happen when the Vikings’ offensive line competition begins, this will likely be the offensive line in 2022:
- LT – Christian Darrisaw
- LG – Ezra Cleveland
- C – Garrett Bradbury
- RG – Jesse Davis
- RT – Brian O’Neill
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