The Minnesota Vikings made moves this offseason to overhaul the interior of their offensive line. That meant cutting ties with a pair of high draft picks in center Garrett Bradbury (No. 18 overall in 2019) and guard Ed Ingram (No. 59 overall in 2022).
Few Vikings fans shed a tear, especially after the team added veteran center Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries in free agency. Minnesota then doubled down by using its 2025 first-round pick on Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson.
Four games into the regular season, the results on that front have been a mixed bag.
Minnesota’s offensive line depth has been tested due to a rash of injuries. Jackson picked up a wrist issue that required surgery. Kelly has now suffered multiple concussions — a serious red flag, considering he has a history with concussions dating back to his days with the Indianapolis Colts. Now, right tackle Brian O’Neill has a sprained MCL in his knee that could lead to missed time.
The Vikings got some good news in Week 3 with the return of left tackle Christian Darrisaw, but other than that, the hits just keep coming. Per Team Rankings, Minnesota’s quarterbacks are being sacked a league-high 4.5 times per game, or on 13.95 percent of their drop-backs. That puts them on a pace to join some seriously bad company, including the 2023 New York Giants, whose QBs were sacked 85 times, nearly breaking an ominous NFL record; Giants QBs were sacked on 14.1 percent of their drop-backs that year.
Some extra salt in the wound? The two big-name players Minnesota moved on from, Bradbury and Ingram, have performed well above expectations with their new teams.
The Minnesota Vikings’ decision to trade guard Ed Ingram hasn’t aged well in 2025
Minnesota’s decision to release Bradbury back in March made sense. He’s now on the wrong side of 30, and his struggles in pass protection came to a head in 2024.
With that said, he's been solid as the starting center for QB Drake Maye and the New England Patriots; he's yet to allow a sack and has surrendered just two QB pressures, per Pro Football Focus.
Ingram’s situation was a bit more complicated. He lost his job last season to Dalton Risner, but he’s still only 26 and in the final year of his rookie contract.
Ultimately, the Vikings decided to recoup some draft capital for Ingram, sending him to the Houston Texans in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick. The move was mostly celebrated among fans at the time, but Ingram has fit in well in Houston. Through the first quarter of the season, PFF has him as their No. 1 graded guard in the NFL.
Ed Ingram is the highest graded OG in the NFL through 4 weeks via @PFF:
— Jacob (@TexansJacob) September 29, 2025
Ingram is first in overall grade (85.6, next closest is 76.3) & RBLK Grade (90.6, next closest is 82.3)
He was the highest graded Texan vs Tennessee with a 88.9 Overall Grade. pic.twitter.com/i3wEXeKOvY
In pass protection, Ingram has shown modest improvement, allowing seven total pressures and one sack in three games. It’s his run blocking that’s been off the charts, with zero penalties and a PFF grade of 90.6 in that category.
Ingram was a liability for Minnesota last season and essentially played his way out of town. Still, he’s hardly the first young NFL player to suddenly find his footing in a contract year.
Did the Vikings bail on their 2019 second-round pick too soon? Considering the small return from Houston, it’s fair to second-guess the decision. He’s a young lineman with experience in coach Kevin O’Connell’s system, and while his struggles in Minnesota became untenable, an extra body would serve the team well right about now as injuries continue to pile up.