Vikings O-Line Thins as Large Lad Says Goodbye
All along, the Vikings o-line was looking like a group that would move in a different direction. The news therefore arrives as confirmation rather than being a huge surprise.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter offered the update about OT Justin Skule, who is journeying south yet again: “Buccaneers signed veteran offensive tackle Justin Skule.” The veteran tackle is now tasked with keeping Baker Mayfield’s jersey clean.
Vikings O-Line Loses Justin Skule
LT1 Christian Darrisaw (recovering from injury) and RT1 Brian O’Neill (extension candidate) are tremendous.
Indeed, those two allow the Vikings to matchup well since each is capable of neutralizing the other team’s formidable edge rushers. Even better is that both demonstrate strong leadership and work ethic. O’Neill is a touch more obvious as a leader since he’s older and more outgoing than the soft spoken Darrisaw, but the younger tackle grinds. Teammates respect him. The Vikings o-line is fortunate to have both.
Behind those two large lads is Ryan Van Demark.
He arrives in Minnesota after an aggressive move from the Vikings’ front office took him away from Buffalo via offer sheet. The new OT3 is replacing the old OT3, somebody who (ironically) arrived as a replacement.
In 2025, Justin Skule was added to replace David Quessenberry. The strategy was widely praised as an under-the-radar way to improve. Getting younger with a tackle who was good enough to play solid ball for respected NFC teams like the 49ers and Bucs was heralded as a good way to go.
A major part of the problem, though, is that Skule ended up being needed far more than expected.
Seeing Darrisaw miss a couple of games in September wasn’t much of a surprise. A touch more surprising was the ongoing maintenance that he needed throughout the year, which is to say nothing of getting shutdown before the year ended.
Compounding the issue is that Minnesota lost confidence in Walter Rouse, further depleting the OT options. Plus, Blake Brandel was needed to jump into the center spot since Ryan Kelly and Michael Jurgens got hurt, taking away yet another option to soak up tackle snaps.
Justin Skule ended up playing 462 snaps at left tackle and 116 snaps at right tackle. His grade came in at 65.2, reasonably solid. He played in 16 games, starting 9 (a career high). So, too, were the 578 snaps on offense a career-high number for the 6th-Round selection from 2019.
Note, as well, that his report card shows 7 sacks, 6 hits, and 29 pressures allowed. He was guilty of 3 penalties.
The Vikings did business with the depth lineman for $2 million last year. In all likelihood, Skule’s new deal comes close to that number, meaning he doesn’t look like a candidate to factor into the NFL’s compensatory picks formula.
He’ll be supporting a Tampa Bay o-line that doesn’t possess the same upside as the front five in Minnesota. Skule was a Buc from 2022 to 2024, so the 2025 season functions as a detour before moving back to familiar territory.
Darrisaw and O’Neill at tackle will be supported by Donovan Jackson at LG1 and Will Fries at RG1. Jackson, in particular, looks like someone capable of shining, but both are encountering strong expectations. The line as a whole needs to give the Vikings a weekly edge. If not, then there will be a lot of wasted investment.
Rolling into the 2026 NFL Draft, the Vikings’ main need up front exists at center. The leading theory is that Logan Jones in the 3rd could be the marriage Minnesota is seeking.
Meanwhile, the 6’6″ and 315 pound Justin Skule will be looking to make a strong impression for Todd Bowles. He’ll do so with a Tampa team that he has played for previously.
The Vikings and Buccaneers are scheduled to play each other in 2026.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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