The Vikings Are Taking a Real Gamble at Center
The Minnesota Vikings entered the offseason with a good deal of uncertainty surrounding the center position. Ryan Kelly was a star when on the field last season, but the veteran continued to suffer concussions, and with them mounting over the course of his career, it was wisely time to call it quits.
That left Kevin O’Connell and company with quite the conundrum. Minnesota simply couldn’t move forward without replacing its starting center. With the dust all but settled on the offseason, though, that’s exactly what they opted to do.
Minnesota Is Banking on an Unproven Center Plan
Center is not typically a premium draft position. With multiple talents in the middle rounds, it seemed likely that Minnesota could grab a capable starter with one of its nine picks. They opted against taking anyone early, though, and it wasn’t until the 235th overall pick that they grabbed Gavin Gerhardt.
The Cincinnati product is clearly someone that the Vikings liked. Pre-draft, they put him through a full install and basically gave him the keys to their offense. It stands to reason that eventually Gerhardt could be the one manning the offensive line. Assuming, even with their interest in his skillset, rookie starts aren’t going to be a thing, Gerhardt will be more of a slow burn.
That means it’s the Blake Brandel show for the Minnesota Vikings. He has bounced around the line for the majority of his Vikings tenure, but it wasn’t until playing center last season that it was suggested his best position had been found. Brandel was something of a mixed bag there, but it was also a reflection of him simply getting his feet wet.
Minnesota will need depth at guard and tackle if Brandel is going to be the starting center. Should that be where he is penciled in, though, he’ll have real runway to get up to speed and be comfortable taking over the starting spot before being thrust into action.
Ultimately, it’s unlikely that Brandel profiles anywhere near what Kelly was at his peak, or even what he was last season. That said, given the reins for real run for the first time in his career, it could be a situation in which he thrives.
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