:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64725584/usa_today_12759232.0.jpg)
Everyone knows that the offensive line has been a serious point of contention for the Minnesota Vikings for the past few seasons. Even in the seasons that the Vikings have been good in recent years, the offensive line hasn’t been great, and at most times has been downright awful.
Now, the folks from Pro Football Focus have ranked all of the NFL’s offensive lines heading into the 2019 NFL season, and despite their performance last year. . .where the run game was non-existent for most of the year and they allowed the most QB pressures in the league. . .PFF does have some teams below them in their rankings, as they have the purple ranked at #25 in the league.
Here’s what they have to say about the guys up front:
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP:
Left Tackle: Riley Reiff
Left Guard: Pat Elflein
Center: Garrett Bradbury
Right Guard: Josh Kline
Right Tackle: Brian O’Neill
Taking Bradbury in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft opened a lot of doors for the Minnesota Vikings, including pushing Pat Elflein out to guard — where he earned his highest season grade at Ohio State. Returning tackles Riley Reiff and Brian O’Neill will need to step it up, though, with the NFC North edge defender group getting even stronger this offseason.
I think the starting lineup is pretty well set, barring fourth-round pick Dru Samia making a run at one of the starting guard spots. The battle for the depth spots on the offensive line promises to be one of the more intriguing ones of this year’s Training Camp.
Given that the Vikings couldn’t do a lot as far as talent acquisition because of cap constraints this offseason, they’re obviously hoping that the change in scheme is going to help this unit get to the next level. With that in mind, it’s going to be difficult to know just how much. . .if any. . .we’re going to see from them until they get on the field and the proverbial bullets start flying.
Still. . .and I know that we say this every year. . .at some point this offensive line almost has to get better. Hopefully with the drafting of Bradbury and the installation of a new scheme, this will be the year it happens.