Dalton Risner’s Most Likely Landing Spots
Usually at this time of the offseason, Minnesota Vikings fans are wondering if the club will sign offensive guard Dalton Risner.
Ex-Vikings offensive guard Dalton Risner remains a free agent, and here’s where he might land for 2025.
The Vikings faced guard woes for about a decade — arguably longer — and finding an upgrade like Risner annually made sense for the depth chart. Now, however, without Risner, the Vikings have the guard spot all taken care of, courtesy of signing Will Fries in free agency and drafting Ohio State’s Donovan Jackson.
But Risner must still land somewhere, so these are the most logical destinations, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = most probable landing spot for Dalton Risner).
7. Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs are on deck to start Kingsley Suamataia at guard in 2025, a man who logged an incredibly rotten 39.4 Pro Football Focus grade as a rookie in 2024. Guards with PFF scores below 40.0 don’t usually protect the best player in football, Patrick Mahomes. Risner would be an upgrade over Suamataia or an apt insurance policy for a Chiefs injury.
Risner was actually born three hours from Arrowhead Stadium, so there’s a smidge of the geographic proximity angle there.
6. Jacksonville Jaguars
Three Vikings personalities signed with the Jaguars in March: assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski, quarterback Nick Mullens, and tight end Johnny Mundt.
Udinski was promoted to the offensive coordinator post in Jacksonville, meaning he’d have some say if his offense needs one more guard. Risner could fulfill the task.
5. Arizona Cardinals
Ben Steele served as one of Risner’s offensive line coaches in Denver, and he’s now attached to the Cardinals staff as a tight ends coach. Current Cardinals guard Isaiah Adams banked a 58.4 PFF mark last season — less than ideal.
Risner to the Cardinals, especially considering Arizona has not re-signed Will Hernandez, could check some boxes.
4. Cincinnati Bengals
Risner name-dropped the Bengals on social media as a possible landing spot for himself a couple of months back, but nothing ever came of it. Still, Justin Rascati is Cincinnati’s passing game coordinator, and he worked alongside Risnser with the Broncos as an offensive quality control coach.
The Bengals aren’t known for stellar player relations — especially not right now — but Risner would probably sign there anyway if offered a one-year deal.
Predominantly Orange‘s, Lou Scataglia wrote about Risner to Cincinnati last month, “The Cincinnati Bengals would make a ton of sense for Dalton Risner. He seems to be most known for shoving former Broncos QB Brett Rypien on the sidelines during the Denver Broncos Christmas Day game back in the 2022 NFL Season.”
“The moment was captured on video, and it was a horribly pathetic moment from Risner. That was also the last game of the Nathaniel Hackett era as well, a forgettable time in Broncos Country. Well, in 2024, according to PFF, Risner’s pass blocking grade ranked 13th among 136 qualified guards.”
Risner almost never signs a contract early in free agency, so his current timetable is right on schedule for his modus operandi.
“He leaves a lot of meat on the bone in run blocking, but he’s competent enough in pass blocking to find a temporary home with the Bengals, a cheap franchise that could use more iOL help. And being that they are a pass-heavy offense, signing Dalton Risner actually makes a load of sense for them,” Scataglia continued.
“Will Cincy pony up the (small) amount of money it would take to potentially sign Dalton Risner, a former Denver Bronco? If so, Risner would face the Denver Broncos in the 2025 NFL Season.”
3. Las Vegas Raiders
In Risner’s rookie season, a man named Rich Scangarello offensive coordinated the Broncos. Now, Scangarello is a coach on the Raiders’ staff.
One Raiders starting guard, Alex Cappa, logged a 50.5 PFF grade last year. Risner can do better than that.
2. Seattle Seahawks
Risner has past ties to a couple of current Seahawks offensive coaches: Klint Kubiak and Justin Outten. Of course, the Seahawks just drafted Grey Zabel, but Risner would be an adept backup.
There’s also the teammate angle — Sam Darnold will lead the Seahawks at QB1 this season.
1. Philadelphia Eagles
Why the Eagles in the top spot? Simple — Philadelphia scours the NFL for its best bargains regarding roster depth. It does so in free agency and the draft, always ending up as the team that acquires stealthy talent. Risner, as a backup in Philadelphia, would be just what the doctor ordered, per the way general manager Howie Roseman typically conducts business.
Too, the Eagles’ senior personnel executive is Matt Russell, and he was the Broncos’ director of player personnel in 2019 when Denver drafted Risner.
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