Vikings “Biggest Bust” Prediction Turns Heads
Jalen Nailor, Lewis Cine, Brian Asamoah — those were Minnesota Vikings players who could’ve reasonably slid into a “bust” status for the standalone season of 2023.
Vikings “Biggest Bust” Prediction Turns Heads
Of course, those men still have time to change the narrative in 2024 and beyond, but according to Bleacher Report, a different Viking could fulfill the bust assignment this season: Ed Ingram.
BR’s David Kenyon forecasted a bust for each NFL team last week, and for Minnesota, Ingram got the nod. “A two-year starter in Minnesota, Ed Ingram is entering a crucial third season. He’s yielded 100 pressures and 16 sacks so far, according to Pro Football Focus,” Kenyon wrote.
Ingram has started 32 of 34 possible games through two seasons in the league, acting as a serviceable commodity so far, with the potential to take the next step in 2024.
Kenyon added, “As the Vikings begin to build around JJ McCarthy, they probably won’t have as much patience for Ingram next offseason if he has another subpar year.”
Kenyon might be onto something, especially because Ingram’s starting right guard job is up for grabs. Minnesota re-signed Dalton Risner in May, a left guard, and his reunion with the team cast Ingram’s status into doubt. Before the move, many believed any Vikings’ OG battle would involve Dalton Risner versus Blake Brandel. While the Risner v. Brandel tryst may still occur, Ingram is in the fold, too.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell said on the Rich Eisen Show in June, “We bring back Dalton Risner, who’s gonna compete like crazy at the guard spot with both Ed Ingram and Blake Brandel.”
And there wasn’t not much ambiguity from O’Connell’s on the topic. Any Risner-Brandel discussions were retired in favor of threeway thinking involving Ingram. The starting left guard, at least in July, is not a binary choice between Risner and Brandel — the matter is effectively a “the best two out of the three will start at right guard and left guard.” One man will be the odd man out and the next man up when the regular season kicks off in September.
Ingram produced a 59.5 PFF grade in 2023, his second as a pro. The score is right on the cusp of decent, teetering on benchable. In fact, it’s probably why Ingram’s job security is undetermined heading into training camp — and why outfits like Bleacher Report accompany his 2024 outlook with words like “bust.”
On the whole, it’s all up to Ingram. He can build on a somewhat noteworthy second season by winning his RG job for a third straight year— or bump against the “bust” talk. Like most of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s 2022 draft class, 2024 is ultra-pivotal.
Kenyon also forecasted former Vikings outside linebacker Marcus Davenport as a bust in Detroit.
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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