The Minnesota Vikings offense has a lot to be excited about. Kevin O’Connell has gotten the most out of Kirk Cousins in his tenure as a Viking. Justin Jefferson has become a superstar and a potential face of the franchise; and while there is uncertainty, Alexander Mattison has shown he can be the bell-cow running back.
One of the main concerns this season is the offensive line. Or so we thought.
According to Ross Tucker of the 33rd Team, this is an above-average offensive line. Tucker ranked them 8th in his offensive line power rankings.
“The Minnesota Vikings’ ascension in my rankings is largely based on the play of their offensive tackles. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw and right tackle Brian O’Neill are studs who lift the performance of an interior trio that is just OK.”
Most Minnesota fans would not deem the interior of this line as OK. Most fans see the league-leading 88 hits that Cousins suffered last season, and this line looks much less than above average. Seeing Cousins seethe in pain on Netflix’s Quarterback series doesn’t help.
The play of Darrisaw and O’Neill is promising. With most pass-rushing threats coming from the outside, having a tackle pair like this gives your offensive line an advantage. If the interior can be serviceable, this can be an above-average line.