Controversial draft pick emerging as a starter for the Vikings

Selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of this year’s NFL Draft, Ed Ingram appears to be on track to be the team’s starting right guard.

When the Minnesota Vikings decided to use their second of two selections in the second round of this year’s NFL Draft on former LSU guard Ed Ingram, many members of the team’s fan base probably weren’t too familiar with the young blocker.

But it didn’t take very long for Vikings fans to learn that Ingram was arrested in 2018 and charged with two counts of aggravated sexual assault. Following his arrest, Minnesota’s rookie offensive lineman was handed an indefinite suspension from LSU. Ingram was eventually reinstated by the school in 2019 after the charges of sexual assault against him were dropped.

He hasn’t found himself in the headlines for the wrong reasons since his reinstatement and the Vikings clearly felt he was worth grabbing with a second-round draft pick earlier this year. Now, months after he was drafted, Ingram is emerging as the top candidate to open the upcoming regular season as Minnesota’s starting right guard.

Strong training camp and preseason has Ed Ingram in position to be a starter for the Minnesota Vikings

At the beginning of the Vikings‘ training camp this summer, veteran offensive lineman Jesse Davis was given the opportunity to work with the team’s first-team offense at right guard.

But as the weeks have gone by, Ingram has overtaken Davis in the race to open the 2022 campaign as Minnesota’s starting right guard.

During the Vikings’ joint practices with the San Francisco 49ers this week, Ingram has taken the majority of the snaps at right guard with Minnesota’s first-team offensive line. Barring injury, the rookie blocker appears to be on track to open the regular season as part of the Vikings’ starting offensive line.

Based on what Ingram was able to do last weekend in his preseason debut with Minnesota, he should be a gigantic upgrade at right guard compared to the last two years when Oli Udoh and Dakota Dozier had the role.