5 players the Vikings can’t afford to lose to injury in 2019

Riley Reiff – LT

Some have listed Riley Reiff as a possible surprise cut candidate this year, but that’s absurd. Quality starting NFL left tackles are extremely hard to find, and while Reiff didn’t have his best season a year ago, he is still well above average.

If Reiff were to get injured at some point during the 2019 season, the resulting trickle-down effect would be catastrophic for the Vikings’ offense.

Brian O’Neill would likely slide over to play left tackle. Which means he would be learning a new position on the fly. Eventually, O’Neill may be able to handle it, but the time it would take him to get there would be too late for Minnesota to salvage their season.

Reiff going down would also likely force Rashod Hill to play right tackle. Hill has been decent in short stints for the Vikings. But when he has been asked to be a starter for an extended period of time, he has been a major liability.

Minnesota’s depth at offensive tackle would also be exposed with an injury to Reiff in 2019. Behind Hill and O’Neill on the team’s depth chart is just an unproven Storm Norton and a sixth-round rookie from Elon University, Oli Udoh.

If either of these guys are forced to step in during a game next season, they would be destroyed on a snap by snap basis by the opposing defense.

Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins would be running for his life behind a Reiff-less line and he would most likely get hurt. Dalvin Cook would also find less room to run and the offense as a whole would sputter.