5 things that must change for the Minnesota Vikings in 2019
By Tim Arcand
The offensive line needs to improve (a lot)
If Kirk Cousins is going to win a couple of games for the Vikings, and if the offense is going to be more balanced, then the offensive line needs to pick it up in 2019.
According to Pro Football Focus, since 2014 the Vikings offensive line has averaged 23rd in the NFL and given up an average of 40.3 sacks. The offensive line rankings for the Patriots and Rams, last season’s Super Bowl participants, ranked fourth and sixth respectively.
The line is the one area the Vikings addressed most this off-season. As pointed out in the introduction, this is the area with the most changes coming for 2019. Only the tackle positions will be the same from last season with Riley Reiff at left tackle and Brian O’Neill returning to play right tackle. As a rookie, O’Neill played well taking over for Rashod Hill starting the final 11 games.
The Vikings added Josh Kline in March, signing him to a three-year contract. An undrafted rookie in 2013, Kline played three seasons with the Patriots before moving on to Tennessee. Over the last three seasons, he started 59 games, mostly at right guard.
A move that impacts two positions along the offensive line came when the Vikings drafted Garrett Bradbury with their first-round pick this year. According to Walter Football, Bradbury ranked second among centers in the draft, projected as a first or second-round pick.
Penciled in as the starter, Bradbury pushes Pat Elflein, a third-round pick in 217 and starter of 27 games at center, to left guard. While playing only at center in the NFL, Elflein did play at both guard positions in college at Ohio State.
The key will be for this unit to quickly become comfortable with each other in order to become a cohesive unit.