Ed Ingram – OG
Ed Ingram is an interesting case. The Vikings took him in the second round in last year’s draft and it didn’t take him long to be named a starter in camp. The guy was a pretty good run blocker, always looking for a body to hit and showing the athletic ability to get to the second level or outside to lead a run.
His issues were in pass protection. Ingram was often overpowered, outmaneuvered, and just didn’t know where the stunts were coming from. This led to his quarterback taking quite a few shots. He also tripped Kirk Cousins numerous times killing a down and potentially a drive.
Ingram really didn’t improve much as the season wore on. He had some good moments but there were plenty of bad ones too. He’ll need to put a lot of time and effort into this offseason getting his body right and working with his coaches to improve his technique, especially in pass protection.
To get him extra motivated competition needs to be brought in. Maybe the Vikings will use a second or early third-day pick on an offensive lineman. They should also allow Chris Reed a shot to unseat the second-year man.
The Vikings can’t allow Kirk Cousins to take so many hits. He’s proven to be extremely durable but eventually, something bad will happen. To ensure he stays upright competition needs to be brought in at the right guard position so Ingram is forced to earn it by improving his play.