Vikings could target these two free agent guards coming off of injuries

When free agency opens next week, one of the areas the Vikings are expected to prioritize is the interior of the offensive line — and specifically, the guard position. Right guard Dalton Risner is a free agent and Blake Brandel was just OK last year at left guard, so Minnesota could pursue two new starters over the course of this offseason.

This free agent guard class won't include Trey Smith, who was franchise tagged by the Chiefs, but there are plenty of other intriguing options set to hit the market. Two of the more fascinating names are players who got off to dominant starts last September before suffering season-ending injuries that complicate their evaluation a little bit.

Will Fries, Colts

Fries has an argument as the top guard available in free agency this year, largely due to what he put on tape prior to suffering a tibia injury in Week 5 of last season.

The former late seventh-round pick took over the Colts' starting right guard job midway through 2022 and retained it in 2023, though his PFF grades show a player who was merely adequate as a starter in those first two seasons. But Fries was in the midst of a major breakout campaign in a contract year through five games in 2024. He earned an 86.9 overall grade in those games, driven by great marks in both run blocking and pass protection. And on tape, there were impressive examples of his nastiness as a finisher in both phases — something he had also shown plenty of times in previous years.

Will Fries pass blocking highlights from last season. Really positive step forward for the young player. Excited to see what he can do with another year of starting at right guard pic.twitter.com/b6Lpo20669
— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) June 4, 2024

Fries, who turns 27 next month, is expected to make a full recovery from his injury. His combination of physicality and mobility figures to make him a highly sought-after player — he's No. 15, and the top guard, in ESPN's free agent rankings (paywall). Fries feels like a perfect fit for the Vikings, and they'll no longer have competition for his services from the rival Bears after Chicago traded for two veteran starting guards this week. But others will be involved, so despite the inherent risk involved with a player coming off a major injury, Fries won't come cheap.

James Daniels, Steelers

Last year was a similar story for Daniels, which is why we're grouping these two together. He was playing like one of the best guards in football, putting together two consecutive games with a PFF grade above 91, before a torn Achilles early in Week 4 ended his season.

The Achilles tear, perhaps even more than Fries' tibia fracture, is an injury that could theoretically affect future performance. But medical technology and recovery methods have also improved greatly over the years, to the point where a guy like Cam Akers has returned seemingly no worse for wear from two separate Achilles tears in his career. Vikings right tackle Brian O'Neill is another player who got through it and fully returned to his prior form.

Daniels, a second-round pick by the Bears back in 2018, has started 86 games over seven seasons. He played left guard and some center early in his Chicago career, but has exclusively lived at right guard since 2021. He spent the last three seasons with the Steelers. Throughout his career, Daniels has proven to be reliable in both the run game and the pass game. He's big, athletic, and fundamentally sound. And even as he enters his eighth season, the former Iowa standout is just 27 years old. He'd be another excellent fit for Minnesota, provided his medicals check out.

Will Fries, Colts

James Daniels, Steelers

Recommended articles