Key Players to Fix the Vikings’ Chronic Weakness
In the aftermath of the Vikings’ playoff exit in Los Angeles, head coach Kevin O’Connell was quick to point the finger of blame towards one area of the team that he felt wasn’t good enough in the tough moments against the best teams. It came as no surprise to those who follow Minnesota football that he was pointing out the Vikings’ longstanding weakness — the interior offensive line.
Key Players to Fix the Vikings’ Chronic Weakness
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had the task of finding the answers to O’Connel’s problem, and he seems to have done it. Minnesota invested heavily in the IOL during the offseason and is set to start with three new players at center, left guard, and right guard.
While the Vikings have been strong at tackle, the IOL has been a source of frustration in Minnesota for a long time. Many players have come and gone, with numerous resources invested, but this year the Vikings have spared no expense. Paying big money and using a first-round draft pick in a bid to finally get it right. Meet the men tasked with solving the Vikings’ longstanding weakness.
Ryan Kelly
Garrett Bradbury never lived up to his first-round draft billing. To be seen as a success when taken in the first round at center, you need to excel and be a player worthy of All-Pro recognition and voted to multiple Pro Bowls. As was the case with Ryan Kelly, the 18th overall pick for the Indianapolis Colts in 2016, two years before the Vikings took Bradbury at the same position.
Kelly had nine successful seasons in Indianapolis before relocating to Minnesota for the 2025 season. At 31, he is at the back end of his career but should give the Vikings solid play at center for at least the length of his two-year, $18 million contract.
Whether he can maintain that for longer will depend on his form and fitness. Kelly only played 10 games last season due to missing a couple of games with a neck injury early in the season and then missing five games while on Injured Reserve with a knee injury – he also had a calf issue during the season. He came back to play in the last three games of the season, and the Vikings will be hoping those injury problems are behind him.
Kelly’s ability to protect the QB is light-years ahead of his predecessor, as evidenced by his pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus of 71.9 in a season plagued by injuries. He only allowed one sack and 11 pressures last season. The type of stats Vikings fans have been dreaming of from their center.
Will Fries
Following Kelly on the path from Indianapolis to Minneapolis is Will Fries. The Vikings spent big to make this happen, $88 million over a five-year contract. Substandard guard play has been a feature of the Vikings’ play for far too long, so Adofo-Mensah moved to sign arguably the best guard on the market. It has been a story of patience and development for Fries, who came into the league as a seventh-round pick with the Colts in 2021.
After starting life in the NFL as a depth player, Fries got his chance in his second season when he was named the starting right guard in Week 10, and kept his place for the rest of the season. He remained in place for the entire 2023 season. With playing time behind him, Fries started the 2024 season on fire, garnering an overall grade of 86.9 from PFF through five games.
Then tragedy struck as he suffered a fractured right tibia in Week 5 and was placed on injured reserve. Minnesota saw enough to be willing to pay the big bucks for a guy who is solid in pass protection but also a mauler when it comes to run-blocking, something the Vikings lacked last season.
Donovan Jackson
People have their opinions on positional value in the first round of the draft, but Minnesota went for the best player available and a position they needed to upgrade their starter. Donovan Jackson should usurp Blake Brandel at left guard this season, with Brandel reverting to a capable swingman who can cover both inside and outside.
Opinions varied on Jackson, with many seeing him as the best pure guard in the 2025 draft class, but analysts preferred interior linemen with position versatility, like North Dakota’s Grey Zabel.
Zabel and Tyler Booker were already gone when the Vikings were on the clock. They decided against a trade back that may have been possible and took their guy. If Jackson proves to be the missing piece that gives the Vikings one of the best O-lines in the NFL, nobody will be complaining. He has the pedigree, having been a national champion last year with Ohio State, and was voted a first-team All-American in a season where he had to move to left tackle due to an injury to the Buckeyes’ starter.
Jackson has all the tools to be the Vikings’ left guard for a long time, but there is a need for good coaching to develop him into the very best he can be.
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