5 Minnesota Vikings rookies who could surprise in 2022
By Dean Jones
Ed Ingram – OL
It didn’t take for the Minnesota Vikings to address their offensive line during the draft. The organization is blessed to have a potential bookend tandem with Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw moving forward, but things are far less certain on the interior.
Selecting Ed Ingram at No. 59 overall gives them another potential Week 1 starter that will be given every chance by the coaching staff. This is a clean slate for almost everyone on the roster after Mike Zimmer was fired, but the LSU product would certainly be one of the favorites to secure an important role if everything goes according to plan.
Ingram is a dominant run stuffer that enjoyed tremendous success with the Tigers. There are some things to work on regarding footwork and leverage in pass protection, but the Vikings bringing him on board when they did might be a steal when it’s all said and done.
It promises to be a fascinating battle in training camp regarding interior protection. One suspects that Ezra Cleveland will continue to man responsibilities at the left guard spot, with the rest auditioning to play alongside O’Neill on the opposite end of the line.
If Ingram does enough to convince the staff he can immediately become a factor, then the Minnesota Vikings should not hesitate to throw him in at the deep end given how much big-game experience he acquired in college.