Minnesota has done plenty to revamp its team in the 2021 offseason. However, a weak spot on the Vikings could be a problem area once again.
The team’s offensive line has struggled to protect the quarterback for the last several seasons. This offseason, the Vikings saw Riley Reiff depart in free agency for the Bengals. Reiff will presumably be replaced by first-round pick Christian Darrisaw. With younger players likely on the offensive line, there’s a possibility the unit could even regress from 2020.
Pro Football Network’s Ben Rolfe did not rate the Minnesota offensive line very highly in a recent power rankings, tabbing the group as the 26th best in the league.
Rolfe wrote:
“One of the toughest offensive lines to judge heading into the 2021 NFL season is the Minnesota Vikings. The returning four of Brian O’Neill, Dakota Dozier, Garrett Bradbury, and Ezra Cleveland all ranked in the middle of the NFL at their respective positions in 2020. Of the four, Bradbury struggled the most with 39 blown blocks, including a league-leading 22 blown pass blocks.”
I don’t really think Dozier was ranked in the middle of the league for guards. There’s a chance Minnesota could upgrade at that spot with either Wyatt Davis or Mason Cole. That said, it’s not a given the Vikings offensive line will be better in 2021; it could even be worse.
