Brian O’Neill – OT
The Vikings have a player with significant potential on their hands in Brian O’Neill. His transformation into one of the NFL’s brightest young offensive tackles was there for all to see in 2019 and he has the scope to get even better going forward.
This is the answer to Minnesota’s prayers. Their edge protection has been a constant source of frustration in recent seasons. So having an assured presence such as O’Neill on one side is a big asset to call upon.
If the former Pitt star takes another leap forward next season, then a First-Team All-Pro selection is not out of the realms of possibility. O’Neill gave up just one sack in 967 snaps in 2019. And his ability to create holes for running back Dalvin Cook was another area of his game that should not be overlooked.
O’Neill’s efforts in 2019 earned him an impressive 70.7 grade from Pro Football Focus. This season, he will once again occupy the right tackle position after the Vikings decided to keep Riley Reiff around despite his 2020 salary cap hit of $13.2 million.
Everything is in place for O’Neill to have another year of exceptional production and this would put him in a strong bargaining position ahead of possible contract talks next spring.