Vikings May Have Quietly Found the Perfect Fill-In
The Minnesota Vikings have one of the best left tackles in the NFL, Christian Darrisaw. A devastating knee injury cut short his 2024 season, and there has been doubt cast over his readiness for Week 1 of the 2025 season. If he’s not ready, the Vikings have the right man in place to deputize for Darrisaw in Justin Skule.
The Vikings have the right man to deputize for a recovering starter.
Darrisaw tore both the ACL and MCL in his left knee during the Week 8 game against the Los Angeles Rams. He arrived at mandatory minicamp last month in full gear and practicing with his teammates. The outlook was looking good for his return for the start of the season. Vikings play-by-play commentator and Voice of the Vikings, Paul Allen, predicted that Darrisaw may be good to go in Week 1.
Recently, The Athletic’s Alec Lewis shared a different opinion.
“Will he be back in time for Week 1? That’s probably a rosy expectation at this point. Still, Darrisaw has attacked his rehab. The Vikings have commended his progress,” was his prognosis.
We will wait to hear about any official timelines, which are likely to emerge closer to the start of the season. However, all eyes will be on Darrisaw at training camp.
The Vikings have invested heavily in the offensive line this offseason and have the potential to be one of the best OLs in the league with a healthy Darrisaw. Alongside longtime right tackle Brian O’Neill, Minnesota now has Ryan Kelly, Will Fries, and this year’s first-round draft pick, Donovan Jackson, manning the interior of the trenches.
There is no sense in rushing Darrisaw back early, given that the new look Vikings OL appears more than capable. If Darrisaw needs an extra few weeks in his recovery, then Minnesota has already signed the guy who can fill in.
Vikings OT Justin Skule’s Resume
The offensive line is one of those positions where there is no rotation. Teams want the same five guys out there building a rapport with each other and the QB. You are either a starter or you are sitting on the bench waiting for someone to get hurt before you get a chance. Having players who can jump in at a moment’s notice and be solid is invaluable, something Minnesota knows only too well, given the frequent and severe injuries to the OL in recent seasons.
The Vikings went out and got a good one in Skule, a 28-year-old with five seasons of experience with good teams who had good OLs in the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has accumulated 66 games, including 17 starts.
Five of those starts came last season in Tampa Bay, where he scored a respectable 69.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. Equally adept in pass-blocking (66.4 grade last season) and run-blocking (68.9 grade last season), he is exactly what you want from a swing tackle.
Whether it is for one game or longer, and whether he’s needed further down the line for a different injury for either Darrisaw or right tackle Brian O’Neill. Kevin O’Connell should be confident that he has the right man to step in and keep his offense ticking over for as long as it takes.
In an ideal world, Darrisaw and O’Neill will play all 17 games, but if and when Skule is called upon, he won’t let anybody down.
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