Knowing the Vikings Prospects: Offensive Line
Continuing our series discussing players the Vikings could target in the first two days of the Draft, we will stay in the trenches and examine the interior offensive linemen.
If you missed the first piece, here are some ground rules: I won’t pretend I’m an expert able to talk about late Day 3 prospects, so we’ll focus on the Top 100 range; I want this to be more realistic, so names like Ashton Jeanty, Travis Hunter, and Mason Will Campbell won’t be discussed.
Knowing the Vikings Prospects: Offensive Line
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah did an excellent job during free agency, solidifying the trenches on both sides of the ball. With the additions of Will Fries and Ryan Kelly, the interior of the offensive line went from the disaster seen against the Rams to four Pro Bowl-caliber players. The left guard spot is the one up for grabs, with Blake Brandel falling off a cliff after Darrisaw’s injury, and no clear upgrade on the roster.
Michael Jurgens and Walter Rouse, both selected towards the end of last year’s Draft, would probably get a shot to compete for the job, but with neither being actual guards, an investment in a rookie is still in place here. As with most years, a good part of the guard prospects are actually offensive tackles who the league thinks are more suited to play inside. Still, there are a few actual interior players who could be good options.
Grey Zabel
North Dakota State
And we start this list with a former tackle in Grey Zabel. Another lineman from North Dakota State, Zabel shone during the Senior Bowl, impressing coaches at guard and center. A player with true versatility, Zabel could play anywhere on the offensive line, although he is likely to play inside. This versatility only ups his value, as he could be a very good guard/center and play at tackle in emergencies (like the Chiefs did with Joe Thuney in 2024).
Zabel is very athletic, easily climbing to the second level on run plays, and can hold the blocks on defensive tackles. He sometimes can lose ground against stronger bull rushes, but he showed the ability to recover his balance mid-play. He could easily take the left guard spot as a rookie and move to center when Ryan Kelly retires (or stay at guard if the Vikings find another center).
Tyler Booker
Alabama
Booker, the best pure guard in the class, won’t offer the versatility of someone like Zabel or Donovan Jackson (more on him later). What he does offer, though, is experience and a lot of strength. His biggest knock is his lack of athleticism, which was confirmed during the Combine drills. Still, Booker knows how to play around this, and even though he may be limited as a puller, he can dominate the line of scrimmage, playing like an immovable object in both the run and pass.
A Nick Saban recruit, Booker was constantly praised for his leadership, football IQ, and competitiveness, improving in his junior season.
A fun fact: Tyler Booker and J.J. McCarthy were teammates in high school.
Donovan Jackson
Ohio State
Jackson is a fun player to evaluate. He was insanely recruited coming off high school, being ranked the best interior linemen and the 7th best player in the country. He then played in over 50 games for one of the best programs in the country. But although he played very well, he never became the dominating guard people expected.
A considerable number of the projected guard prospects are actually offensive tackles who teams think will be better inside. Jackson, recruited to play guard and with over 40 starts as a guard, has some evaluators projecting him as a left tackle. Just like the Chiefs did with Joe Thuney, moving him from guard to tackle in a pinch, the Buckeyes did with Jackson, playing him at LT after Josh Simmons went down.
His position in the pros would most likely depend on the team he goes to, as he has indeed tackle-guard versatility. If the Vikings select him, he could start as a left tackle while Christian Darrisaw fully recovers and transitions back to guard.
Tate Ratledge
Georgia
Ratledge has the personality the Vikings look for in players: smart, dependable, and absolutely loves football. He has an extensive injury history, missing at least one game every year, although none too concerning, but still managed to be All-SEC and All-American the past two seasons.
He likes to bully in the run game, mauling defenders off the line with his big frame. In pass protection, he is better against power moves, showing the ability to reset and re-anchor, but he showed vulnerability with quick moves.. Ratledge has the size, physical, and mental make-up to be a starter for a decade in the NFL. The only problem for the Vikings here is that he spent his entire career as a right guard, and the Vikings just paid Will Fries $88 million to be the RG.
Jonah Savaiinaea
Arizona
Savaiinaea is one of my Draft crushes this year. He started as a guard for Arizona but was kicked out to play tackle, having over 300 snaps at either side in 2024. He later said he didn’t care where he lined up; he’d do whatever the coaching staff asked.
His biggest problem in pass blocking is more visible as a tackle, as he tends to open his hips way too easily. Playing in a limited space should allow him to show his physicality and ability to push defenders. He did well at the Combine, recording the fastest 10-yard split between players over 315 pounds (1.79s). This confirmed the short-area explosion he showed on tape and the ability to quickly get out on pulls during the run game.
Jared Wilson
Georgia
If you don’t watch college football, let me tell you something: Georgia had one of — if not the best — interior offensive lines in the country. We already talked about Ratledge, and the other guard, Dylan Fairchild, could be selected early on Day 3. In the middle was Jared Wilson, who had his first experience playing at center and earned All-SEC honors.
Although he shined in his only season, his lack of experience showed throughout the tape, but it isn’t anything brutal or that can’t be coached. He is an excellent athlete, reaching the fastest speed ever by a center at the Combine (21.04 mph), is strong, and smart to ID potential threats. He is the biggest project out of this bunch, but he has the tools to be one of the best centers in the NFL.
The Vikings went all-in on the offensive line during free agency, bringing in Ryan Kelly and Will Fries. Kelly is an immediate improvement but isn’t a long-term solution. Michael Jurgens right now isn’t a solution, either, so bringing in a center to sit behind Kelly for a year or two could happen.
Brandel showed he can be a capable starter with Darrisaw next to him for the left guard spot, but having a player like him as a backup instead of a starter would be better. Walter Rouse and Jurgens could try to switch positions and compete with Brandel, however, I’d rather spend a higher pick on a player who can play right away and develop into one even better — like Zabel or Ratledge.
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