4 Vikings players who clung to their roster spot in 2022
By Dean Jones
Oli Udoh – OL
Things are looking up for the Vikings’ offensive line. There is real hope this can become an area of real strength next season, with two bookend tackles and a potential upgrade on the interior in the form of Ed Ingram at the right guard spot.
Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill look set to make waves as prolific edge protectors. Ezra Cleveland is another that’s shown promise and should provide consistency at left guard once again, with the one question mark coming at center if Garrett Bradbury cannot turn his career around.
Depth on the protection is an issue if one of the starters goes down with an injury at any stage. Considering Oli Udoh’s distinct lack of discipline in 2021, it was something of a surprise to see his name included on the 53-man roster.
Perhaps Udoh’s versatility worked in his favor, even if the 16 penalties conceded last season became a liability in no uncertain terms. However, the Vikings decided to release Wyatt Davis and trade free-agent signing Jesse Davis, meaning the Elon product gets another chance to prove his worth.
Udoh’s hopes of starting appear non-existent unless injury strikes. And in all honesty, he’s probably best suited to a backup role based on what we saw last season.