4. Failing to add competition for Garrett Bradbury
In 2019, the Vikings decided to use their first-round pick in that year’s NFL Draft on former North Carolina State center Garrett Bradbury.
At the time, it totally seemed like the right selection to make. Looking back on it, it definitely wasn’t the right decision.
Bradbury has been one of the worst centers in the NFL during his three seasons with Minnesota and the team let him know how they’ve felt about his performance so far by recently declining to pick up his fifth-year option.
Despite not picking up his fifth-year option, however, the new Vikings coaching staff still has Bradbury penciled in as their starting center for the 2022 season. What makes this even worse is that they didn’t add any free-agent centers or draft a center this offseason who could compete with Bradbury for his job.
Perhaps new Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell believes that his offensive scheme will make Bradbury’s weaknesses less impactful. But if the young center continues to perform at a poor level next season, then the Vikings have no one to blame but themselves.