2 Vikings veterans whose roles will be pushed by rookies in 2025
The Minnesota Vikings were so close to having a remarkable season in 2024. They started the season with five straight victories, and after a pair of losses they came through with a nine-game winning streak.
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The Vikings were 14-2 going into their regular season finale against the powerful Detroit Lions. A win in that game for the Vikes would have given them the top spot in the NFC North and the overall No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.
It was not to be and it really wasn't close. The Vikings offensive line did not hold up against the Lions and quarterback Sam Bradford felt the pressure of the moment and the heat from the Detroit pass rush.
The Vikings lost that game by a 31-9 margin and were shunted to the Wild Card round of the playoffs. They lost that game to the Los Angeles Rams by a 27-9 score and their dream season came to a stunning end.
The Vikings have spent much of the offseason attempting to amend the weakness on the offensive line. They added center Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries from the Indianapolis Colts during free agency and they drafted guard Donovan Jackson with the 25th pick in the first round.
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The Vikings are happy with offensive tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill. That duo is considered one of the best in the league at their respective positions.
Jackson has the characteristics the Vikings are looking for at guard
The Vikings are hoping that Jackson will be good enough to take the starting position away from left guard Blake Brandel. Jackson proved to be a a versatile and impactful offensive lineman for the national champion Ohio State Buckeyes, and head coach Kevin O'Connell knows that the Vikings have a player who will battle on every snap.
Brandel is a four-year veteran who has started every game the past two years and has performed at an above average level. However, he did not distinguish himself against elite opponents, and if the Vikings are going to be more than a strong regular-season team, they need outstanding guard play against the best opponents.
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Jackson appears to have all the tools needed to get there, but the question is whether he can get there in his rookie season. If he does win the starting job during training camp, he will have Darrisaw at left tackle on one side of him and Kelly on the other side.
That should help him quite a bit, but he is going to have to be successful on his own. Jackson played left tackled during the Buckeyes' championship run. The 6-4, 315-pound Jackson is wide and powerful with polished footwork. He has an excellent hand punch that can stun defensive linemen.
Jackson must show he has the flexibility to man the guard spot, but he plays with a sense of leverage and has wonderful mobility. Those are the key reasons the Vikings believe in him.
He will clearly push Brandel for the starting left guard position.
Oscar Chapman will push Ryan Wright for the punting position
Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images
The Vikings were not overly thrilled with the punting job done by Ryan Wright last season. He had a decent 46.5-yard average but just a 40.6-net-yard average. He had one punt block, he had 27 punts inside the 20 and five touchbacks.
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This was not a bad year, but the Vikings are hoping that rookie free agent Oscar Chapman can do a better job.
Chapman is a rookie from Adelaide, South Australia, who comes to the Vikings via the free agency route from Auburn.
Chapman punted for five seasons at Auburn and he had his best season in 2023 when he punted 61 times and had a 44.6-yard average.
He was nearly as good in 2021 when he average 44.2 yards on 57 punts. He was not quite as decisive last year as he averaged 42.5 yards on 41 punts last year.
The Vikings like what they see from Chapman because he can get his punts away quickly. He should have a better-than-even chance of beating out Wright for the punting position.
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