7 bold predictions for the Minnesota Vikings 2020 offseason

There will be a youth movement on the offensive line

Another interesting tidbit from Mike Zimmer’s press conference on Monday was the subtle vote of confidence for his younger offensive linemen. While the Vikings’ blockers were bullied toward the end of the season, Zimmer said he liked what he saw from some of the project offensive linemen as the year wore on.

"“I think we’ve got some young guys that we basically redshirted this year that I think are going to have opportunities to be good football players. I’m hoping that becomes even more of a strength for us next year, and we’ll be looking to continually try to improve not just that position, but all of them.”"

Two names that Minnesota fans should watch out for this offseason are guard Dru Samia and tackle Oli Udoh. Both players were selected in the later rounds of the 2019 draft and with Samia’s athleticism projecting as a perfect fit for the Vikings’ zone-blocking scheme and Udoh possessing raw power, both could make a push toward the starting lineup throughout OTAs and into the preseason.

Veterans Pat Elflein and Riley Reiff (assuming he accepts a restructure) will be pushed by this duo as neither had a year that entrenches their starting spot beyond this past season. If Udoh and Samia can have a strong offseason program, they could be improvements for an offensive line that took a step forward from the 2018 disaster.