Minnesota Vikings: 5 players who need to step up in 2020

1. Pat Elflein, guard

At one time, it looked as though Pat Elflein was going to develop into an anchor at the center position and develop into one of the league’s best players at the position. However, he hasn’t looked the same since fracturing his ankle and having surgery on his shoulder.

Even a move from center to guard hasn’t helped Elflein bounce back. In fact, there were times last season when he was completely ineffective as a pass blocker and allowed a lot of pressure on quarterback Kirk Cousins.

While the exact starting lineup for the offensive line during the 2020 NFL season hasn’t been confirmed, the Minnesota Vikings seem to be confident that Elflein will return and play at a higher level at one of the guard spots.

Letting go of Josh Kline and waiting to draft interior linemen will likely insert Elflein right back into the starting lineup. If he fails to perform once again, the team could be looking to move on from the former third-round draft pick in 2017.