Off to an 0-3 start, the Minnesota Vikings’ season can only be called a disappointment thus far. The voices to explore a Kirk Cousins trade and to completely tank the season are getting louder with each loss. If the Vikings do end up drafting a quarterback in 2024, the Vikings possess something that most teams wish they had for their young quarterbacks: two Pro Bowl-level offensive tackles in right tackle Brian O’Neill and left tackle Christian Darrisaw.
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Offensive line play is always a focal point for teams looking to draft a quarterback. If a team doesn’t have the ability to keep their quarterback upright, then the development curve can be adversely affected. The current play of O’Neill and Darrisaw will make the Vikings an enticing team for quarterbacks eyeing a landing spot.
Brian O’Neill’s Star Turn
The Vikings drafted Brian O’Neill in the second round of the 2018 draft as an athletic project at right tackle. At the time it was thought that O’Neill would need at least a year to develop into an NFL-caliber starter. He ended up stepping into the starting lineup mid-way through the year and surrendered a grand total of 0 sacks. He’s been a consistent stalwart on the right side of the offensive line for the Vikings ever since, logging well above-average PFF grades every season.
The Vikings wisely went ahead and locked O’Neill up early with an extension prior to the 2021 season. They now have him under a relatively market-friendly deal for a star tackle through 2026. Since O’Neill’s contract was signed, he’s jumped his game to an even higher level. Behind Eagles All-Pro Lane Johnson, O’Neill is in the discussion for second-best right tackle in the league. He uses elite athleticism to mirror speed rushers and shows strong hands to stop their momentum. He’s also been a load in the run game throughout his career, regularly springing runs by getting to the second level. O’Neill should start getting All-Pro consideration following this season if he keeps up his current level of play.
Christian Darrisaw’s Emergence
Christian Darrisaw was the last first-round pick of the Rick Spielman era. With O’Neill already emerging on the right side at that point, the pick was supposed to give Minnesota great bookend tackles. That’s more or less how it’s played out when Darrisaw has been on the field. The problem has been that he’s been battling various injuries since coming into the league. Darrisaw got off to a slow start as a rookie due to a lingering camp injury, missing his first 4 games. He missed another 3 games due to injury in 2022. And now, he’s been in and out of the lineup to start the 2023 campaign with a bad ankle.
When Darrisaw has been healthy, he’s been one of the best left tackles in the league. He holds up extremely well in pass protection, regularly pushing speed rushers past the pocket. It was somewhat incredible watching O’Neill and Darrisaw regularly push Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack past the pocket in unison against the Chargers in Week 3. Offensive line play can indeed be fun to watch at times! Darrisaw also uses his size and athleticism to bulldoze defenders in the running game. He displays the agility to punish linebackers at the second level on zone runs and in the screen game. If Darrisaw can get and stay healthy this year, the Vikings should send both tackles to the Pro Bowl.
The Offensive Line’s Future
In addition to having Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill under team control through at least 2025, they also have starting center Garrett Bradbury locked up through the same period. Stud left guard Ezra Cleveland will also be an extension candidate following this season. Following the 2025 season, Minnesota’s continuity will get much more difficult to maintain. Having multiple offensive tackles worthy of paying big money is a good problem to have, but it’s still a problem. If they go the route of drafting and developing a quarterback, it could free up the cap space required to keep both Darrisaw and O’Neill. However, if they stick with Cousins or go with another veteran option things will get tricky. That will likely be just another reason for the Vikings to go younger at quarterback.
Building through the trenches is one of the most surefire ways for teams to rebuild successfully. If that’s indeed the direction the Vikings are heading in, then they’ve got a great head start. The presence of Darrisaw, O’Neill, and Co should greatly speed up the process of bringing Minnesota back to relevancy. If they can keep their core together, they’ll also give whoever is playing quarterback next year every chance to succeed.
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Main Photo Credit: Eric Hartline – USA Today Sports
