The Minnesota Vikings are doing everything they can to get the most out of their offensive line.
The hiring of Keith Carter as the Vikings’ new offensive line coach and a return to full health for Christian Darrisaw could help the Vikings in the trenches this season. But the biggest boost could come if Blake Brandel takes a leap at the center position.
Brandel was forced to the middle last season due to Ryan Kelly’s concussion issues, and while it had some highs and lows, it was good enough to convince the Vikings to give him a chance to compete at center this offseason.
While some may express skepticism that it’s an actual competition with Michael Jurgens and Gavin Gerhardt behind him, Carter recently continued Brandel’s hype train during an interview with Vikings.com for what could be a solution for one of Minnesota's biggest questions this offseason.
“We’re fortunate. We have Blake, who has played and started every position up front, which in this league is unheard of. His versatility, his smarts, his instincts, his care, is unbelievable. Very few times do you have a player like him that can truly play all five spots.
Then you have Jurgens, who is getting better and better. And I think to have those two guys competing, I think we’re lucky, you know?
Then we draft Gavin in the seventh round, who is another one who’s super smart, super tough and understands football, and I think they all make us better.
...It’s gonna be really cool to see how the fall plays out and wherever the chips fall.”
Minnsota Vikings need Blake Brandel’s experiment at center to succeed in 2026
To hear Carter talk about an embarrassment of riches at center may be a bit surprising for Vikings fans.
According to PFF, Brandel played 438 snaps at center after making the move in Week 5, and his 56.8 overall grade was 37th among 42 qualifiers at the position.
He also allowed 15 pressures and three sacks on 277 pass-blocking snaps and had some moments where his lack of experience showed, including a botched snap that went over the head of Carson Wentz during a Week 7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Still, the Vikings seem convinced that Brandel is the man for the job. Speaking to reporters last spring, Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell commended Brandel for learning his new position on the fly and expressed confidence that he’ll be able to compete for the job during training camp.
“It was really encouraging to see a guy that had never done it before, kind of seamlessly jump in there and attack that opportunity.
I guess this is the best way to say it: It is great that we feel that good about Blake’s versatility, but ultimately we want to do what’s best for Blake to ascend and reach his highest potential at one position, or have the flexibility still to play multiple [positions].
But what his offseason looks like, what his training camp looks like, and what his workflow looks like leading into the season, we want to have him more than likely at that center spot and build on some things that he did last year.”
While those words are a vote of confidence, they may also be relative to a situation where the Vikings have no choice.
After basically redshirting during his rookie year, Jurgens saw 309 snaps, but had just as many issues as Brandel, posting a 54.1 overall grade and allowing nine pressures and four sacks on 165 pass-blocking snaps.
Gerhardt was the Vikings' lone addition to the group as a seventh-round pick in this year’s draft, but was a surprising pick that was 612th on Wide Left’s consensus board.
Perhaps a healthy season for Minnesota's offensive line could elevate Brandel at center. Having Smith aboard, who orchestrated a Miami Dolphins ground game that ranked fifth with 4.7 yards per attempt last season, could be another element that unlocks Brandel’s potential.
But at age 29, there’s also a chance that Brandel is more of a utility player and the Vikings’ issues at center could bleed into the 2026 season.
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