Vikings Offensive Line Thoughts

The offensive line of the Minnesota Vikings has been a problem for a while. It’s been a problem since freshly inducted Hall of Fame Steve Hutchinson left in 2011. Ten years. A long time. Too long. To fix that problem the Vikings started using serious draft capital on offensive linemen. Brian O’Neill was selected in the second round in 2018. Garrett Bradbury was selected in the first round in 2019. Ezra Cleveland was selected in the second round in 2020. Christian Darrisaw was selected in the first round and Wyatt Davis was selected in the third round of April’s draft. Two firsts, two seconds, and a third were used to fill the five positions. When Darrisaw and Davis were added, it looked like the Vikings had finally drafted their offensive line of the present and future. 

LT	Christian Darrisaw
LG	Ezra Cleveland
C	Garrett Bradbury
RG	Wyatt Davis
RT	Brian O’Neill

Not everything goes as planned. Through a week and a half of training camp practices the Vikings starting offensive line has most often looked like this.

LT	Rashod Hill
LG	Ezra Cleveland
C	Garrett Bradbury
RG	Oli Udoh
RT	Brian O’Neill

Darrisaw had groin surgery in January. The Vikings knew that they were going to have to take things slow with him. That surgery and recovery might’ve played a role in his “drop” to the 23rd pick of the first round. The Vikings were, and are, wise not to rush Darrisaw on to the field and in to the starting offensive line. Getting him on the field without jeopardizing his ability to stay on it is far too important to the team. He was drafted to be a franchise cornerstone player. The Vikings need him to become that player. Rashod Hill is a good football player. The Vikings are fortunate to have him. They don’t have to rush Darrisaw into the lineup. Because Hill is a good football player and because he’s been the LT1 throughout offseason work and training camp, most beat writers and fans have settled into the possibility that he’ll be the Week 1 starter. I don’t see it that way. Yet. That Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals is a month away. The offensive line must work as a cohesive unit. The more time that they have together the better. Each practice that Darrisaw misses is a missed opportunity for him to become a part of that cohesive unit. Each missed practice isn’t a total loss. Watching Hill doing things right in practice should be teaching moments. Hill does things right. Darrisaw has the ability to do those things better. Hill is a good football player. Darrisaw has the potential to be a very good, perhaps great, football player. The Vikings need him on the field. In my opinion, that needs to happen in the next month, before the start of the season. Most that have Hill penciled in as the Week 1 starter believe that Darrisaw will take over at some point during the season. They point to O’Neill’s in-season assent to rookie starter in 2018 as proof that it can work. Perhaps it does play out that way. I just hope that it doesn’t. I hope that Darrisaw moves into the starting lineup during the preseason. I think that a month is enough time to get Darrisaw ready. I think that a couple weeks is still enough time to get him ready. The injury and recovery has delayed his assent to starter long enough. No matter when it happens, it will be rushed. I prefer that rush to take place in August rather than September. 

Oli Udoh. He’s been one of the standouts and surprises of training camp. I’ve been intrigued by Udoh since the Vikings selected him in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of itty-bitty Elon. In the 2019 preseason and a couple regular season opportunities, Udoh has shown a pleasing ability to erase defensive players. He envelopes them and they disappear. At 6’6” and 325lbs, he’s the team’s largest offensive lineman. O’Neill, Garrett Bradbury, and Ezra Cleveland have had to add some size and strength to get close to NFL standards and expectations. Udoh is already there. Perhaps naturally there as he moves like a smaller player. He came into the league as a tackle and I thought that he might develop into the bookend to O’Neill. The drafting of Darrisaw changed that. His move to guard appears to be a welcome one. He’s taken full advantage of the opportunity. He’s alternated first team reps with Dakota Dozier. The thought of Dozier anywhere near the starting lineup is terrifying. Seeing training camp clips of Udoh smoothly making adjustments to blocking responsibilities has been a revelation. I believe that he’s made right guard his home. The coaches have talked of Udoh like the job’s his, that he just needs more reps. The best way for him to get those reps is to end the splitting of them. Whenever O’Neill and Bradbury are on the field Udoh should be between them. The only question that arises from Udoh at right guard is what becomes of Wyatt Davis. That’s a question for another time. For now, he provides talented offensive line depth. 

If everything goes as I hope, the Vikings Week 1 offensive line looks like this. 

LT	Christian Darrisaw
LG	Ezra Cleveland
C	Garrett Bradbury
RG	Oli Udoh
RT	Brian O’Neill

I like it. I like it a lot.