5 Vikings players that should stick around for the 2023 season

Garrett Bradbury – C

One of the most interesting decisions for the Vikings this offseason will be whether to re-sign Garrett Bradbury. Bradbury came into this season as one of the biggest draft busts in Vikings history and many were surprised when O’Connell sang his praises at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine.

“[Bradbury] did a lot of really good things in college and it’s just been a matter of finding the right fit for him and the right system and what you are asking him to do snap in and snap out that gives him the best possible chance for success,” O’Connell said. “I’m really excited about not only Garrett, but the rest of our guys up front.”

To his credit, Bradbury played better than he did in his first three seasons but he still ranked sixth among centers with 24 pressures allowed despite missing five games with a back injury.

The back is a major concern moving forward and so is the state of the offensive line. Ed Ingram and Ezra Cleveland ranked first and third in pressures allowed among all offensive linemen last season and it’s possible that Bradbury’s lack of strength led to more interior pressure than there should have been.

Then again, the Vikings have needs throughout the roster and may be willing to bring Bradbury for one more year just to have some stability in the trenches. Bradbury’s tenure in Minnesota is on the tail end, but if the Vikings want to compete, they might have to make a sacrifice in this direction.