Vikings Have Unforeseen Offensive Line Dilemma
Dustin Baker
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The 2023 Minnesota Vikings have a strange problem — too many good offensive linemen.
Vikings Have Unforeseen Offensive Line Dilemma
That may sound like a ruse, but it is not. Left guard Ezra Cleveland is having a career year but is injured at the moment. Ed Ingram is progressing gradually and has eliminated gaffes in the last month. And, oh, by the way, Dalton Risner looks the part after just one start.
Cleveland, the NFL’s ninth-best guard per Pro Football Focus through seven weeks, should return to action before too long. And when he’s back, he somehow complicates a good thing — the Vikings terrific offensive line showing on Monday Night Football against the mighty San Francisco 49ers. Minnesota’s trenches played unbelievably well, and now the coaching staff has tricky-but-ideal decisions ahead.
So, what are the options?
Back to Normal
The most likely option, when Cleveland’s foot heals, is the Vikings will likely return to the status quo with all starters in their organic positions. And this would be the starting OL fivesome:
- LT: Christian Darrisaw
- LG: Ezra Cleveland
- C: Garrett Bradbury
- RG: Ed Ingram
- RT: Brian O’Neill
The awkward part? Risner would return to the bench, even after an interview like this:
Thankfully for his and the team’s sake, Risner would be one snap away from a starter’s gig for the rest of the season.
Bench Ingram
The next alternative is promoting Risner to right guard, leaving Ingram, a second-year lineman, as a bench victim. Truth be told, although Ingram is developing on the fly, he’s probably the weakest link on the Vikings offensive line.
The drawback? Ingram was a 2nd-Round draft selection last year, is maturing in real-time, and sending him to the sidelines would be counterintuitive to his progression. He’s earned the right to start over the last four games, but for weeks, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has insisted he’ll start the best five men.
All things considered, Risner is probably an upgrade over Ingram if youth is subtracted from the examination.
- LT: Christian Darrisaw
- LG: Ezra Cleveland
- C: Garrett Bradbury
- RG: Dalton Risner
- RT: Brian O’Neill
Promote Risner; Bench or Trade Cleveland
The final option? Ignore Cleveland’s fabulous performance through seven weeks and leave the man on the bench. A ruthless move, Risner would remain at left guard, mainly because the Vikings found some OL magic against the 49ers, a team that conveniently employs a Top 3 starting front seven in the sport.
Why mess with it? That would be the mentality necessary to leave Cleveland on the sidelines.
Otherwise, because Cleveland’s contract expires at the end of this season — and he will want a large extension in March — Vikings boss Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could trade him for draft assets before the league’s deadline on October 31st.
- LT: Christian Darrisaw
- LG: Dalton Risner
- C: Garrett Bradbury
- RG: Ed Ingram
- RT: Brian O’Neill
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 Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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