The 2023 season is inching closer and closer by the day and we here at Vikings Wire are previewing the season from every angle.
We are currently writing player profiles on each Minnesota Viking on the roster with projections for what their 2023 season could look like. How things look projecting forward is where the real intrigue lies.
Leading up to training camp, we will be looking at each position from a more in-depth perspective. Today, we will be looking at the offensive tackle position.
The room
- Christian Darrisaw
- Brian O’Neill
- Oli Udoh
- Blake Brandel
- Vederian Lowe
- Jacky Chen
- Sam Schlueter
Performance in 2022
The Vikings have one of the best tackle duos in the NFL in Darrisaw and O’Neill. They were the bookends that Kirk Cousins needed to be successful.
Darrisaw was a breakout star at the position in 2022. He missed training camp and the first few weeks of his rookie season but a healthy offseason led Darrisaw to a great 2022. He finished with a PFF pass blocking grade of 82.4 and finished second in overall PFF grade among offensive tackles at 90.2
O’Neill was a solid player on the right side. Before tearing Achilles tendon in week 17 against the Green Bay Packers, he racked up a PFF grade of 82.7, good for ninth in the NFL. Consistency was the key with O’Neill, as it has been throughout his career.
Brandel started multiple games for the Vikings with Darrisaw injured. He looked like an NFL tackle, but he was getting beaten with speed on the outside. On 181 pass-blocking snaps, Brandel allowed only 13 pressures, one for every 14 pass-blocking reps. As a swing tackle, you won’t get much better than Brandel.
Udoh took over for Brian O’Neill once he injured himself in week 17. Udoh only allowed three pressures across his 118 pass blocking snaps. A sixth-round pick in 2020, Udoh has blossomed as a solid depth offensive lineman.
Lowe played in five games, but only saw 33 snaps on the offensive line, with all of those coming in week 18 against the Chicago Bears. A sixth-round pick in 2022, Lowe wasn’t asked to play much at all as a developing player.
Expectations in 2023
Expectations on this group is that it should be one of the best in the National Football League.
Darrisaw has shown that he is one of the best left tackles in the game of football and season that shows improvement from 2022 will open eyes of analysts outside of the state of Minnesota.
O’Neill was lucky enough to not fully tear his Achilles tendon and that will make a difference in his success for 2023 and beyond. With the (likely) improvement of Ed Ingram on the interior, O’Neill should have an easier time on the outside.
Brandel and Udoh are the swing tackles that likely won’t see much playing time, but when called upon, they will be able to step in and play well.
Lowe is currently on the roster bubble, as is second-year player Sam Schlueter and UDFA Jacky Chen from Pace. The depth players on the roster have talent, but they each come with questions. They won’t get much playing time at all, but each bring something to the table worth developing.
What does the future of the room look like?
The future of the room is easy: Darrisaw and O’Neill.
The Vikings do have some intriguing depth pieces in Brandel and Udoh, but they aren’t players right now that you want starting for you week after week. They can play extended stretches and help the Vikings win games, which you want from your backups.
If O’Neill doesn’t come back from his Achilles tear, Udoh would likely be the player to get the job, where his best fit on the offensive line is.
Previous state of the roster articles
