4 Vikings who have exceeded expectations so far this season

Garrett Bradbury – C

For all the faults of the Vikings interior protection, the team has gotten some impressive production from Garrett Bradbury this season. The center has come on a significant amount from his rookie season and despite the less than stellar play around him, he comes out of the first eight weeks with plenty of positives.

More than a few eyebrows were raised when Minnesota selected Bradbury at No. 18 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. There were some who questioned this decision after the North Carolina State product suffered some struggles as a rookie. But there is a lot to like about the way he’s applied himself during a difficult campaign, overall, in Minnesota.

Bradbury has been a commanding force on the line of scrimmage, with elements of his game such as communication much improved from the previous campaign. The lineman has yet to give up a sack and has been flagged for just one penalty in 432 snaps, earning a very respectable 66.0 grade from Pro Football Focus through seven games.

There might have been flashier players available when the Vikings drafted Bradbury in 2019, but it does appear they went in the right direction at this juncture. Considering how disappointing Minnesota’s guard play has been so far this year, his production is even more remarkable.