What Dalton Risner's Visit Could Mean for the Vikings
The Vikings hosted free agent guard Dalton Risner for a visit on Tuesday, which is highly intriguing because of the various questions it raises.
Risner is a 28-year-old former second-round pick who started 62 games at left guard for the Broncos over the past four years, posting consistently strong marks in pass protection. He's far more solid than great, but he's a durable starter in the prime of his career. Players like that usually aren't still available in August. Presumably, Risner has been looking for a higher dollar amount on his second NFL contract than a team has thus far been willing to give him, so he's been patiently waiting for the right opportunity to arise.
The Vikings have talked a lot about their continuity on the offensive line this year, with all five starters from 2022 back for the second year of the Kevin O'Connell era. However, both of their guards were very poor in pass protection last season; rookie right guard Ed Ingram led all offensive linemen in pressures allowed, while left guard Ezra Cleveland finished third-worst in that department. They played in one of the league's most pass-heavy offenses, but even when adjusting for volume, both guards really struggled to prevent interior pressure.
That's where Risner — who has earned a PFF pass-blocking grade above 69 in all four of his NFL seasons — could provide a boost. Cleveland is a borderline elite run blocker and Ingram still has upside as a second-round pick going into year two, but Risner would be a major, proven upgrade from either one as a pass protector. With the Vikings looking to cut down on the hits Kirk Cousins takes after he was knocked down more than any other quarterback last year, it makes sense that they'd at least consider adding Risner.
"I look at it as, the personnel department, working in conjunction with our staff, we're always looking for ways to find good football players when they're available," O'Connell said on Tuesday. "We really just wanted to bring him in and get to know him a little bit better, use the process of a visit to do that, and see if we can possibly take what we think is a strong group and make it even better. It's going to be a process that starts with that visit and I think it's gone really well so far. We'll just continue to kinda see if that's something that makes sense for both ourselves and Dalton."
Risner was in the building Tuesday morning, doing things like meeting with coaches and taking a physical. He has a previous relationship with Vikings offensive line coach Chris Kuper and assistant OL coach Justin Rascati, who were both in Denver prior to last season.
If Risner were to sign with the Vikings, one imagines he would be doing so knowing he would at least have a legitimate opportunity to compete for a starting job. O'Connell unsurprisingly declined to comment on what Risner's potential role would be, but did say they "want this to be as competitive at all positions as possible."
The potential logistics and ramifications of adding Risner are fascinating. He's spent his entire NFL career at left guard, so would he push Cleveland out of that spot? A 2020 second-round pick by the Vikings' previous regime, Cleveland graded as one of the best run-blocking guards in football last year but also allowed 53 pressures and 20 QB hits. He hasn't earned a pass-blocking grade above 55.5 in three NFL seasons and isn't under contract beyond this season. In theory, could Cleveland fetch the Vikings anything in a trade?
Then there's Ingram, who was a high draft pick by this current regime last year but had a nightmarish rookie season. Just 24 years old, Ingram was slightly better in the second half of 2022 and could take a leap in year two, but that's far from a guarantee. Would GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah be willing to bench him after just one season as a starter? Cleveland is probably better than Ingram right now, but one could be gone after this season and one is on a rookie contract for the next three years. These are all factors to consider.
If Cleveland were to remain in the lineup over Ingram, either he or Risner would have to slide over to right guard. Cleveland did play there as a rookie in 2020, so that could be a possibility. Risner, who played center and right tackle at Kansas State, likely has some positional flexibility if needed.
"I know his predominant history has been on that left side," O'Connell said of Risner and where he could play. "That's one of the reasons why you bring a player on a visit, (to) have those conversations. We feel comfortable about his answer to that question."
Of course, it's entirely possible the Vikings don't sign Risner at all. But if they do, it'll be very interesting to see which of the three guards ends up without a starting job come Week 1.
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