Top 10 Minnesota Vikings of 2022: Where does Justin Jefferson rank?

No. 7: Brian O’Neill – RT

Brian O’Neill consistently gets the job done, and as a lineman, that is exactly what Minnesota needs from him.

He is not in the conversation as the best linemen in football, but he keeps getting better and flies under the radar often due to his lack of big mistakes.

For years, Vikings fans have clamored for just adamant play across the offensive line. O’Neill has done just that in his four years thus far. While his PFF run-blocking grade has gone up and down, his pass-blocking has continued to improve.

A lot has been made about O’Neill allowing just six sacks across his nearly 2,400 pass-blocking snaps in his career. In 2021, he also allowed the lowest number of pressures (22) in his career even with his highest number of pass-blocking snaps (695) in a single season.

His pass-blocking grade last season ranked 16th among all NFL tackles, which is the highest he has ranked in his career. O’Neill appears to still be improving and is locked up under contract after his big payday last year.

Think back to all the Vikings games you have watched over the last few years. How often have you noticed O’Neill? Barely ever, right? Minnesota would do anything to have an offensive line of five O’Neills, and he is a very important piece to this team.