Minnesota Vikings: 5 players who could be extended before next season

Minnesota Vikings Player No. 2: Brian O’Neill

Brian O’Neill has two seasons remaining on his rookie deal, but the price for offensive tackles keeps surging forward since the Vikings selected him as a second-round pick in 2018. While the Vikings believed O’Neill would need some work before seeing the field out of Pittsburgh, he seized a starting role midway through his rookie year and hasn’t let go.

Now entering his third season, O’Neill is in the running for best offensive lineman on the roster and will look to anchor the right side while 2019 second-round pick Ezra Cleveland is poised to anchor the left tackle spot.

Locking up bookend tackles should be a priority for any team, but especially for the Vikings who have struggled to find an adequate solution for the past decade. With Cleveland on a cheap, four-year rookie deal, the Vikings could see if O’Neill wants to sign a year early.

That security could be a good thing for O’Neill, but there’s a better chance he plays 2020 out and looks to cash in next season.