After Sam Darnold was sacked nine times in last year's playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell revealed what a core part of the offseason plan would be.
"There's no question that we've got to be able to find a way to be able to give a quarterback [time], especially with players like Justin [Jefferson], Jordan [Addison], T.J. [Hockenson]. We've gotta find a way to solidify the interior of the pocket, starting first and foremost," O'Connell said.
The Vikings started turning over their interior offensive line trio in March, replacing the lamented duo of center Garrett Bradbury and right guard Ed Ingram with Ryan Kelly and Will Fries respectively. Then in the first round of April's draft, they took Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson with the plan to have him start immediately at left guard.
Pro Football Focus recently posted their rankings of the 32 NFL offensive lines heading into the 2025 season. The Vikings came in at No. 7, rooted in the investments made to upgrade the three interior spots, as noted by writer Zoltán Buday of PFF.
"Minnesota will feature three new starters along the interior in 2025, looking to turn a weakness into a strength," Buday writes. "Center Ryan Kelly just turned 32 and is still among the best players at his position when healthy. Right guard Will Fries was on his way to a breakout season in 2024 before an injury ended his year after five games. Rookie Donovan Jackson, whom the Vikings drafted in the first round, completes the pack."
PFF analyst has bold praise for the Vikings' retooled offensive line
On Monday's edition of the PFF NFL Show, Trevor Sikkema and writer Dalton Wasserman discussed the site's freshly posted offensive line rankings, counting down from 32-1. When the Vikings came up at No. 7, Sikkema went all-in.
"I have the Minnesota Vikings at No. 4 (in his personal rankings) ... I truly believe that the Minnesota Vikings could have the best offensive line in the NFL," Sikkema said. "This unit is fantastic. If Christian Darrisaw is fully healthy ... I think he's a phenomenal offensive tackle. I think Brian O'Neill is as well. They could compete for the best offensive tackle duo in the NFL."
Wasserman noted the returns to health of Darrisaw and Fries as important factors, which surely dropped the Vikings' offensive line a bit in the overall PFF rankings. But he generally agreed with Sikkema on the potential for the unit, though shy of declaring they could be the best in the league.
It's been a while since the Vikings' offensive line as a whole was at all worthy of lofty praise or acknowledgement. That time is here again, though, and if things go according to plan, Sikkema's bold thought won't be as out on a limb as it seems to be right now.