After watching the Los Angeles Rams sack Sam Darnold nine times in the NFC Wild Card game last season, the Minnesota Vikings immediately reached deep into the Wilfs’ pocketbook and dropped $124 million on some upgrades to the offensive line. Most agree it will be a worthwhile return on investment, but the returns might not be immediate. The talent is now there. Still, it could take longer than hoped for this shiny, new offensive line to really find its rhythm.
A lack of continuity is a significant issue that Minnesota’s line may face early in the season. Most of the league’s top units are returning most, if not all, of their five starters. The Philadelphia Eagles, typically regarded as the league’s best, will only feature one new starter in 2025. The Denver Broncos will bring back their same five, including All-Pro Quinn Meinerz. And the Buffalo Bills, who led the league with just 14 sacks allowed last season, also return all five starters.
Notice a theme here?
That’s not to say teams with a significant amount of new players can’t succeed immediately. The Super Bowl champion Eagles started six new players on defense this past season. The Kansas City Chiefs completely overhauled and nearly replaced their entire offensive line a year before winning it all. Who’s to say that this year’s success story won’t be the Vikings?
There’s no question, though, that Minnesota needed to make some serious changes up front. Most fans would rather have their head slammed in a car door repeatedly than watch Garrett Bradbury get bullrushed by a nose tackle ever again. General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah agreed and went out and signed center Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries, and added guard Donovan Jackson in this spring’s draft. However, three new starters in a group that is primarily judged on their ability to act as a cohesive unit pose their own problems.
Not only did the team welcome three new starters, but star tackle Christian Darrisaw is also still recovering from a knee injury that kept him out for most of 2024. And, by the way, there’s a guy named Brian Flores on the other side of the ball bringing absolute heat every single snap of training camp. Head coach Kevin O’Connell discussed the progress Darrisaw and Fries, who is also recovering from an injury, made in their first real reps this week.
“Now it’s a matter of conditioning for both Will and Christian, mixed in with getting their technique and fundamentals dialed in at that position,” said O’Connell. “And it’s going to be a great challenge and a real runway for them to feel like they’re game-ready based upon what they’re practicing against on the other side of the ball every day.”
There’s undoubtedly an uphill battle for the coaches to work out all the issues by Week 1, but things aren’t all bad. Minnesota’s offensive line is certainly new, and it’s definitely improved.
Ryan Kelly is the perfect veteran to lead second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy through his first time as a starter. It’s hard to imagine a better guy to put in front of essentially a rookie quarterback. Will Fries is a massive human being with an absolute nasty streak. Before his injury last year, he was one of the top guards in all of football. Rookie Donovan Jackson hasn’t been talked about much in camp, but that’s exactly what you want from an offensive lineman.
Individually, Minnesota’s newly formed offensive line was elite across the board last season. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Darrisaw was the 11th-ranked tackle, while O’Neill was right behind him at 12th. With the Indianapolis Colts, Kelly was the 17th-ranked center in the league, and Fries was the fourth-ranked guard. This group has a lot of upside, but just don’t expect everything to be flawless in September.
Although if there’s anyone out there who can get these guys ready to go by Week 1, it’s Kevin O’Connell. Already one of the most highly regarded coaches in the NFL, O’Connell has made a habit of bringing in outside talent and getting the most out of each and every player. The edge duo of Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard didn’t miss a step in their first year in purple, with each racking up over 11 sacks and Van Ginkel earning second-team All-Pro. Maybe Fries and Kelly could see similar results in their first season with Minnesota.
The Vikings are bigger and badder up front than they’ve been in a while. And while there aren’t concerns about the talent level, issues due to the simple lack of time together may arise at least initially. Still, it’s good to see that the Vikings have invested so heavily in a group dedicated to protecting the franchise quarterback.