Grading the Vikings 2019 NFL Draft class after year one

Garrett Bradbury – C (Pick No. 18)

Production: 

Garrett Bradbury started all 16 games for the Vikings at center this season. That’s what Minnesota was hoping for when they took him with the 18th overall selection in the 2019 draft.

He proved to be a durable and reliable player who didn’t miss a single game due to injury. When teams take an interior lineman early in a draft, they expect him to start every game and that is what Bradbury did for the Vikings this season.

Grade: A

Performance:

This is where things get a bit sketchy for Bradbury as he had a very up and down rookie season. The good was that he was pretty solid in the running game all year long. He is extremely quick and he can pull and lead plays outside in a hurry. He can also get to the second level and make blocks down the field. His play definitely helped Dalvin Cook have a career year.

It was in pass protection where Bradbury really struggled. He often was just flat out overpowered by the big, beefy defensive linemen he was tasked with blocking. Two of his worst games this year were against division opponents in the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. The Packers game was especially bad as he allowed three sacks to Za’Darius Smith.

The silver lining is that Bradbury can fix this if he bulks up and adds strength in the offseason. Still, seeing him play so poorly at times does cloud his future with the team a little bit.

Grade: D