Minnesota Vikings: Does the team have a top 5 offensive line?
By Adam Carlson
The Minnesota Vikings made moves in free agency and should be getting some injured players back, but will it be enough to make them a top 5 offensive line?
Sometimes, offensive linemen are the forgotten stars of the NFL. Without them, teams like the Minnesota Vikings would have no blocking for star running back Adrian Peterson or protection for young quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
Related Story: Minnesota Vikings 2016 season preview
Thankfully, NFL Media’s Shaun O’Hara showed the big guys in the trenches some love by focusing on the best offensive lines in the NFL during a recent segment on NFL Total Access. And although the Vikings struggled in protection last year, O’Hara showed Minnesota some love during the segment.
To watch the segment, you can see it on the official Minnesota Vikings website. However, here is what was said about the offensive line this year for the guys in purple:
During his ranking, he put the Minnesota Vikings at #5. The only teams ahead of them were the Green Bay Packers, Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, and Dallas Cowboys. While those offensive lines are great, they don’t have a guy like Adrian Peterson in the backfield at running back, which is something O’Hara says is a big difference maker.
More from The Viking Age
- 6 biggest draft steals in Minnesota Vikings history
- Former Vikings first-round pick could reportedly return to NFC North
- Bears analyst has extremely embarrassing Kirk Cousins take
- 6 Vikings who (maybe) won’t make the 53-man roster in 2023
- Predicting what the Vikings will do in the 2023 NFL Draft based on 2022
"“They’re facing 8-man boxes and they’re still finding a way to run the football,” O’Hara said. “That says the big fellas up front are getting it done.”"
Sadly, that wasn’t always the case last year. There were many occasions where Peterson was stuffed in the backfield or struggled to get back to the line of scrimmage. However, the additions of guard Alex Boone and tackle Andre Smith could help bring the team back to being a fearsome unit.
But there are still question marks. The biggest of them involve injuries to two of the team’s veteran standouts, John Sullivan and Phil Loadholt. Their backups played admirably last season (especially Joe Berger), but there may be some surprises on the offensive line if these two players aren’t available for the 2016 NFL season.
Next: Minnesota Vikings 2016 NFL Draft class
What do you think? Is the Minnesota Vikings offensive line one of the best units in the National Football League? Do they have a weak link? Can they open more holes for Adrian Peterson? And will they be able to better protect quarterback Teddy Bridgewater this year? Let us know in the comments below!