Why the Guard Thing Still for Vikings?
The NFL Draft is just two weeks away, and the Minnesota Vikings only have limited capital. That means they’ll need to get creative with their selections, or they could trade down to acquire additional ammunition. If they stick and pick at 24th overall, there are still a few areas they haven’t addressed during free agency.
Why the Guard Thing Still for Vikings?
Both the interior offensive and defensive lines have clearly been a focal point. Brian Flores doesn’t need any more help up front on his side of the ball. It’s debatable if the offensive line could use another addition. Maybe the draft board dictates Minnesota’s intentions, but is a guard really a pressing need?
Minnesota turned over its interior offensive line this offseason with additions like Ryan Kelly and Will Fries. The former bumped Garrett Bradbury off his position, and Fries brings a presence that Ed Ingram and Dalton Risner failed to substantiate. Blake Brandel presently occupies the only other guard spot, and he was talked up plenty going into the season.
Brandel started fine but faded quickly as the year went on. Given the free-agent overhaul that the Vikings have undergone, it’s understandable that they wouldn’t want to stop short of completing the job in front of J.J. McCarthy. However, is guard really the biggest need?
Minnesota could opt to evaluate Brandel with better pieces around him. Maybe that will lend itself to a more appreciable outcome, and they will not have to invest in his position after all. If the Vikings were going to draft a first-round guard, they would almost certainly ignore the need for a day-one starting cornerback.
It’s possible to go too far into a course correction; another guard could represent that for Minnesota. If they grab an offensive lineman in the first round of the draft, they will start in place of Brandel and overtake Walter Rouse as well. That could be too much of a shortsighted decision, but it must be evaluated going forward.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has left plenty to be desired when it comes to his previous draft selections. He needs to get it right this time, and with limited picks, it could be more pressing than ever.
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Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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