Was Christian Darrisaw Snubbed From NFL All-Under-25 Team?

The Vikings' two best offensive players are both 24 years old, but only one of them made the All-Under-25 team put together by Nick Shook at NFL.com.

Obviously, Justin Jefferson was one of the three wide receivers on the team, alongside CeeDee Lamb and college teammate Ja'Marr Chase. But at offensive tackle, Tristan Wirfs and Andrew Thomas were Shook's picks, not Christian Darrisaw.

Do both players deserve it or was Darrisaw snubbed? Let's investigate.

Wirfs and Thomas were drafted in 2020, so they both have more than 20 additional starts compared to Darrisaw, who was taken in 2021. That sample size is certainly a factor in the way the players are viewed.

Thomas, the No. 4 overall pick in 2020, had a rough rookie season in which he allowed 57 pressures and ten sacks with a mediocre 62.4 PFF grade. But his arrow has shot up in each of the last two seasons, improving to a 78.9 grade in 2021 and an elite 90.3 grade last season. The Giants' left tackle earned second team All-Pro honors last year.

Wirfs was picked 13th in that draft and has been remarkably consistent at right tackle for the Buccaneers, earning a grade between 83.1 and 84.3 in each of his three seasons. He's a two-time Pro Bowler who was a first-team All-Pro in 2021 and made the second team last season.

Darrisaw doesn't have the same resume, as he was drafted 23rd in 2021 and has just 24 career starts for the Vikings. He didn't start until Week 6 of his rookie season and earned a solid 71.9 grade that season, getting better as the year progressed.

What Darrisaw does have is an argument as the best non-Trent Williams tackle in football last year. He had an incredible breakout season in year two, earning a 90.4 grade that trailed only Williams. After two decent games to start the year, Darrisaw was absolutely dominant in Week 3 against the Lions and didn't look back. The only thing that could stop him was concussion issues that cost him three full games and parts of two more.

After looking at the numbers, I don't think you can say Darrisaw was snubbed in this exercise. He had a ridiculous season, but Wirfs and Thomas are also dominant players in their own right who have been established for slightly longer. You really can't go wrong with any of the three; they're the best young OTs in football.

The battle for the four All-Pro spots at tackle this season is going to be fun to follow.

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