Vikings Offensive Line Ranked Among League's Best For 2023 Season
When's the last time the Vikings had a legitimately great offensive line?
After so many years of the O-line being a weakness in Minnesota, the problem appears to have been fixed. ESPN's Mike Clay has the Vikings' OL ranked as the NFL's seventh-best heading into the 2023 season.
Starting with the Vikings' previous regime led by GM Rick Spielman, the franchise has poured top draft picks into the offensive line in recent years in an effort to make it a strength, not a weakness. All five of Minnesota's starters were selected in the first two rounds of five consecutive drafts.
Right tackle Brian O'Neill was a second-round pick in 2018 and has developed into one of the league's best, most consistent players at that position.
Center Garrett Bradbury was a first-round pick in 2019 and had his best season last year under Kevin O'Connell, which led to the Vikings bringing him back in free agency. He's always been an elite run blocker because of his rare athleticism, but Bradbury's pass protection improved from awful to good in 2022.
Left guard Ezra Cleveland was a second-round pick in 2020, moving from tackle to guard. He's been a less extreme version of Bradbury through three seasons, with great running blocking grades and just decent performance as a pass blocker. If Cleveland can improve the latter aspect of his game in a contract year, he could become one of the league's better guards.
Left tackle Christian Darrisaw was a first-round pick in 2021 and broke out last season as one of the most dominant offensive linemen in the game. Darrisaw turns 24 this summer and his arrow is pointed straight upwards; he has the tools to be one of the NFL's premier left tackles for the next decade.
Lastly, right guard Ed Ingram was a second-round pick in 2022, as the Vikings' new regime continued — and perhaps finished — what the old one started. Ingram had a rough rookie season, leading all linemen in pressures allowed, but a big year two leap wouldn't be surprising given his physical abilities.
The Vikings didn't take an offensive lineman in the first two rounds of this year's draft. In fact, they didn't take one at all. They believe their group is set and will continue to improve in their second season together in Kevin O'Connell's offense.
That's the context behind Clay ranking the Vikings as the seventh-best O-line in the league. Given the uncertainty around the interior trio's pass protection, I might've had the Vikings a few spots lower than that, but there's little doubt that this is the best O-line the franchise has had in quite some time.
Improving the veteran guard depth would be nice in case Ingram continues to struggle, though.
You can find all of Clay's position group rankings and projections here.
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