Vikings right tackle Brian O’Neill returned to practice on Tuesday

The Minnesota Vikings right tackle did not participate in the team’s OTA practices last week, but he was back out on the field on Tuesday with his teammates.

Brian O’Neill wasn’t expected to be much of a factor during his rookie season with the Minnesota Vikings last year.

The Vikings’ 2018 second-round pick was viewed as a bit of a project coming out of Pittsburgh. However, O’Neill ended up starting in 11 games last year and luckily for Minnesota, he performed rather well.

For 2019, he is expected to begin the season as the Vikings’ starting right tackle on their revamped offensive line.

Last week during Minnesota’s OTAs was the first opportunity for the new and improved offensive line to hit the practice field together. However, O’Neill was not a participant in the team’s first three OTA practices last week due to an undisclosed injury.

The Vikings had their fourth OTA practice on Tuesday and photos from the team’s official website reveal that O’Neill was back out on the field participating in drills with his teammates.

Whatever injury the young right tackle was dealing with, it clearly wasn’t anything serious enough to cause him to miss a significant amount of time. Which is good since now Minnesota can get a good look at the starting offensive line combo they would like to put out on the field next season.

If the Vikings’ line has any chance of improving in 2019, staying healthy this offseason will be a big factor. Continuity is a huge part of what makes for a successful offensive line and Minnesota needs O’Neill and the rest of their top blockers to get as much practice time together as they can this summer.

Otherwise, it’s likely going to be another year of the Vikings’ offensive line holding the team back from reaching their true potential.