Comparing the trenches: Weighing the Vikings' schedule by OL and D-line talent

Now that the Vikings' OL and D-lines are set, how do they compare to their opponents?

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Before and after every season, Pro Football Focus ranks the NFL’s offensive and defensive lines. This offseason they placed the Vikings 26th on the offensive line and 15th on the defensive line.

Of course, their estimates for the trenches were produced before the Vikings added Sheldon Richardson. So we can safely assume they will be above average. On the offensive line side, the rebuild unit up front will have to prove that they are ready to take a big step forward with two rookies preparing to start. However, they have the potential to be much better than years past with an emphasis in pass blocking at the guard position and center Garrett Bradbury entering a pivotal year.

So adjusting for the late D-line adds to the program and progress on the O-line, how do the Vikings match up to their opponents in the trenches? Let’s have a look where PFF ranked each opponent and key factors that could determine the outcome…

Full PFF defensive line rankings

Full PFF offensive line rankings

Cincinnati

Bengals O-line rank: 24th

The Bengals elected to pick receiver Ja’Marr Chase rather than top tackle prospect Penei Sewell with the fifth overall pick in the draft, leaving them with former first-round pick Jonah Williams and ex-Viking Riley Reiff as their tackles. That’s not a bad situation for the Bengals and young QB Joe Burrow considering Williams has been a sound pass blocker and Reiff has put together a solid career. Reiff will reportedly play the right side, meaning he’ll match up with Danielle Hunter. The Vikings get the edge in that matchup but Reiff can play against good rushers without getting trucked.

Where the Bengals are in deep trouble is the interior of their offensive line. Each the four projected players battling for guard or center positions graded below average by PFF last season and expected starting guard Quinton Spain ranked 45th of 48 starters in pass blocking grade. The Vikings’ reloaded interior D-line should smash the Bengals’ inside blockers and both stunt the run game and create havoc for Burrow.

Bengals D-line rank: 25th

While the Bengals mostly ignored their offensive line, they made a lot of moves on the D-line this offseason. They let Carl Lawson walk in free agency in favor of signing ex-Saint Trey Hendrickson, who was second in the NFL in sacks last offseason, and added DT Larry Ogunjobi and drafted Texas rusher Joseph Ossai. Former Packer Mike Daniels is also lurking as a situational rusher.

Cincinnati’s D-line isn’t going to strike fear into the best offensive lines in the game but if the Vikings’ rookies have some rookie moments in Week 1, they are good enough to take advantage and pressure Kirk Cousins.

Advantage in the trenches: Vikings

Arizona

Cardinals O-line rank: 12th

The Cardinals made a huge offseason acquisition in dealing for center Rodney Hudson, who ranked seventh by PFF last season. He changes the complexion of an offensive line that already graded as PFF’s fifth best pass blocking unit in 2020. At tackle, DJ Humphries has become a franchise player and Kelvin Beachum is a historically strong pass blocker.

That doesn’t mean the Cards are without some questions up front. Guards Brian Winters and Justin Pugh are ancient and could struggle with the power of Dalvin Tomlinson and quickness of Sheldon Richardson.

Cardinals D-line rank: 18th

Last season Arizona finished with 48 sacks, the fourth most in the NFL. Whether they can carry that over to 2021 without leading sack-getter Hasaan Reddick will be a storyline this season. Reddick left in free agency to join the Carolina Panthers. The Cardinals, however, are looking to replace his production with JJ Watt, who produced 5.0 sacks on a miserable Texans team last year. The status of Chandler Jones could make or break this matchup. Jones is reportedly on the trade block as he holds out for a new contract.

Advantage in the trenches: Even

Seattle

Seahawks O-line rank: 19th

In 2020 the Vikings were one of the most ineffective teams rushing the passer in the NFL, yet they got after Russell Wilson in Week 5. Wilson was pressured on 44% of his drop backs and he was sacked four times. Seattle did make one move to improve their O-line by signing veteran Gabe Jackson, who remains a quality blocker even if he’s faded in recent years. Will it be enough to completely turn around Seattle’s long-standing mediocre blocking? Probably not. But he could help them at least be a mid-pack O-line, which hasn’t been the case for awhile.

Seahawks D-line rank: 29th

Newly-acquired rusher Kerry Hyder (14th among DEs in pressures last year) joins returning Carlos Dunlap on the D-line. They will carry the majority of the burden in getting after the passer along with Benson Mayowa, who had 36 pressures last season. They also signed Aldon Smith but his status appears unclear due to legal issues. Especially with home field advantage (for once) against Seattle, the Vikings’ young O-line should be capable of handling themselves in Week 3.

Advantage in the trenches: Vikings

Cleveland

Browns O-line rank: 1st

How good is the Vikings’ rebuilt defensive line? We’re going to find out when they play against the Browns. Five Cleveland offensive linemen ranked in the top 35 of all linemen last year in PFF pass blocking grade and they finished No. 1 in team run blocking grade. Kevin Stefanski carried over the run-first mantra from Minnesota to Cleveland but the Vikings now sport two of the best run stuffers in the NFL in the middle, which means not only will Michael Pierce and Dalvin Tomlinson versus Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller and JC Tretter will be the best trench battle of the year, it could be the factor that determines who comes out ahead.

Browns D-line rank: 11th

Cleveland made somewhat of a surprising decision by moving on from Sheldon Richardson in favor of Jadeveon Clowney this offseason but their pass rush is extremely dangerous just by proxy of having Myles Garrett. Even while dealing with a bout with COVID, Garrett ranked as PFF’s fourth best defensive end. Assuming Christian Darrisaw is starting, Garrett will be his toughest opponent until seeing Khalil Mack.

Advantage in the trenches: Browns

Detroit

Lions O-line rank: 10th

Detroit may have seen a lot of wide receiving talent walk out the door last offseason but new quarterback Jared Goff will inherit a pretty talented group of blockers. Center Frank Ragnow is truly the centerpiece of the O-line, grading as the second best player at his position last year. The biggest question is how quickly top pick Penei Sewell can acclimate to right tackle. If he isn’t in top form quickly, facing Danielle Hunter could be a serious problem.

Lions D-line rank: 24th

There are players on Detroit’s roster who are capable of getting after the passer. Whether they will be able to take advantage of those players under new defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn may be a different story. Trey Flowers and Romeo Okwara have past histories of creating pressure and new addition Michael Brockers can at least provide more competent play than they have had recently. Still, this is far from an intimidating group. The Vikings’ offense should get plenty of opportunities to shine against Detroit again.

Advantage in the trenches: Vikings

Carolina

Panthers O-line rank: 31st

Trading for Sam Darnold and passing on Justin Fields was enough to raise many eyebrows at the Panthers’ process this offseason, but they could be equally questioned about the handling of the offensive line. Carolina signed two of the consistently poorest graded linemen in Pat Elflein and Cam Erving and stuck with struggling Matt Paradis and John Miller. They did draft BYU’s Brady Christensen, who may get a chance to start but odds are that the rookie won’t make a big impact right away.

Panthers D-line rank: 16th

In this case, the Vikings will need to specifically worry about one player wrecking their gameplan: Brian Burns. The former first-rounder ranked ninth last season in PFF’s Pass Rush Production statistic and graded as PFF’s sixth best edge rusher in the NFL. Defensive tackle Derrick Brown produced more pressure than expected last year and had four pressures against the Vikings, so he could cause problems if the interior of the Vikings’ O-line isn’t improved.

Advantage in the trenches: Vikings

Dallas

Cowboys O-line rank: 6th

This one entirely depends on health. When La’el Collins and Tyron Smith are 100%, they are an elite tackle duo. Add the dominant Zack Martin to the mix and you have a machine up front. However, the two tackles have rarely appeared in games together in recent years so it’s hard to expect Dallas to be in tip-top shape. They could come in as the sixth best O-line if healthy or end up as mediocre as last year (PFF ranked them 27th in 2020) if they’re dinged up.

Cowboys D-line rank: 27th

Dallas lost its top pressure creator last year in Aldon Smith, who managed 50 pressures and led the team in QB hits. They still have two beasts at D-end in Randy Gregory and DeMarcus Lawrence but the interior of the Cowboys’ D-line is extremely underwhelming. Once again, this matchup comes down to the Vikings — and namely Christian Darrisaw — stopping one game-wrecker.

Advantage in the trenches: Slight edge to Cowboys

Baltimore

Ravens O-line rank: 12th

Baltimore traded away Orlando Brown but they picked up two quality linemen this offseason in Kevin Zeitler and Alejandro Villanueva and drafted massive guard Ben Cleveland. Getting star tackle Ronnie Stanley back in action also helps improve the Ravens’ O-line from where they were last year. The Ravens offer one of the most unique challenges in the trenches because of their extensive rushing attack. If there’s one way to slow it down, it’s dominating the middle, as the Vikings hope to do with their behemoth nose tackles.

Ravens D-line rank: 21st

There isn’t one incredibly scary player on Baltimore’s D-line, there’s just a lot of guys who can do the job. On the inside Calais Campbell is still effective despite not being a superstar anymore and second-year DT Justin Madubuike flashed an intriguing skill set as a rookie but there’s no terrifying force in the middle. The outside rushers have more juice with Vikings killer Pernell McPhee, Tyus Bowser and rookie Odafe Oweh attacking the edges. The Vikings’ O-line will have to be on its toes for all the mixing and matching.

Advantage in the trenches: Even

Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers O-line rank: 18th

The L.A. offensive line is pretty much totally rebuilt but it has questions. Will Rashawn Slater instantly be a difference maker? Can Bryan Bulaga stay healthy? How will Matt Feiler perform outside of an O-line friendly environment in Pittsburgh? The Chargers’ O-line did make one terrific addition in elite center Corey Linsley. By the time the Vikings face the Chargers, we’ll have a good idea of how it’s all come together around Justin Herbert.

Chargers D-line rank: 20th

Garrett Bradbury vs. Linval Joseph and Brian O’Neill/Christian Darrisaw vs. Joey Bosa will be worthwhile matchups to watch when the Vikings play in L.A. The Chargers don’t have much more to write home about on the D-line but Joseph still has enough in the tank to make for a long day up front and Bosa is one of the five best players at his position in the NFL.

Advantage in the trenches: Slight edge to Vikings

Green Bay

Packers O-line rank: 15th

For the first time in awhile, the Packers’ offensive line is just OK. Elgton Jenkins and David Bakhtiari are the best in the business but the rest leave something to be desired. Although if you ask Vikings fans, they’ll just hold their way to being a good line again this year.

Packers D-line rank: 13th

We know that Kenny Clark and Za’Darius Smith are going to be a handful but the player who could really make an impact is Rashan Gary. He showed signs with 39 pressures in just 299 pass rush snaps last year that he can add an extra pass rushing layer to the Packers’ defense. If that’s the case, the Vikings will need Dalvin Cook to keep running over them in order to win.

Advantage in the trenches: Slight edge to Packers

San Francisco

49ers O-line rank: 9th

Welcome back, Trent Williams. The No. 1 graded tackle in the NFL returned to the Bay this offseason, solidifying that the 49ers will put a good line in front of whoever plays quarterback. One determining factor as to whether they are good or great is veteran Alex Mack, who faded in recent years.

49ers D-line rank: 9th

With Nick Bosa back and Javon Kinlaw flashing in his rookie year, the 49ers’ D-line is scary. They added Mo Hurst from the Raiders and Zach Kerr (who destroyed the Vikings last year) from Carolina as well. San Fran’s D-line will likely still be too much for the Vikings’ offensive line to handle. They’ll need more answers than they had in the 2019 playoffs.

Advantage in the trenches: 49ers

Pittsburgh

Steelers O-line rank: 29th

Pittsburgh’s offensive line is simply bad. They’ve fallen apart over the past few seasons and are left with only one proven quality player up front (David DeCastro). The Steelers’ answer last year was to throw the ball quickly but with quality receiving talent that doesn’t seem like a proper solution. Whether Ben Roethlisberger can get time to throw may determine where this game goes.

Steelers D-line rank: 1st

The best offensive lines in the NFL are often no match for TJ Watt, Stephon Tuitt and Cam Heyward. They will make for the most difficult test all year for the Vikings. The only good news is that it comes on Thursday night and by then Darrisaw and Wyatt Davis’s feet will be wet in the NFL.

Advantage in the trenches: Steelers

Chicago

Bears O-line rank: 27th

Welcome to the league, Justin Fields, your offensive line is bad. Chicago is likely to start Teven Jenkins at a new position from where he played in college and rely on former Bronco Elijah Wilkinson, who is one year removed from allowing 10 sacks. Danielle Hunter will be licking his chops.

Bears D-line rank: 6th

Eddie Goldman missed minicamp, which came as a surprise after he sat out last season. If he returns and the Goldman/Hicks/Mack combo is back in action, the Vikings should be very concerned. Those three have demolished the Vikings’ offensive lines in recent years.

Advantage in the trenches: Slight edge to Bears

Los Angeles Rams

Rams O-line rank: 8th

Andrew Whitworth is back for what seems like his 50th year in the NFL and he’s still good. The rest of the line might be getting too much credit here. None of their interior linemen graded over 65 by PFF last year. This is the type of game where you could see Sheldon Richardson making his presence known.

Rams D-line rank: 4th

You can guarantee Wyatt Davis has never seen anything like Aaron Donald before and neither has Ezra Cleveland. He put on a vulgar display of destruction in 2018 against the Vikings and there’s a good chance he’ll do it again. Limiting the rest of the line will be the key.

Advantage in the trenches: Rams

Totals

Advantage Vikings: 5 games

Advantage Opponent: 4 games

Slight edge to Vikings: 1 games

Slight edge to opponent: 5 games

Even: 2 games

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