Future of the Vikings, Part 4: The offensive line
What's to do at center? How did the new guards fare?
By Matthew Coller
Welcome to Part 4 of our Future of the Vikings series on the offensive line. Let’s dive right into the biggest questions facing the team this offseason…
Will Christian Darrisaw return to full health?
It was a frustrating year for all involved when it came to Christian Darrisaw’s health. After he missed the second half of the 2024 season due to an ACL tear, it appeared during the offseason that he was going to be ready to go at the open of 2025. But when Darrisaw did return in Week 3, he told reporters that he was ahead of schedule even by getting back at that point. That was only the beginning of a confusing week-to-week situation with the franchise left tackle.
Overseas, Darrisaw played against the Pittsburgh Steelers but then seemed to take himself out of the following game versus Cleveland in the second half. Kevin O’Connell said that he was on a pitch count but that appeared questionable because he was not in the game for the biggest moments in the fourth quarter versus Myles Garrett.
The following week, he was fantastic. Darrisaw gave up just two pressures on 47 pass-blocking snaps against the Eagles and looked like his old self. But that didn’t last as he left early in the Thursday game versus the Chargers that followed. He returned to play very strong football again for the next three weeks against Detroit, Baltimore and Chicago.
When he didn’t finish the Green Bay game, it appeared to be routine because they were getting pummeled but he performed surprisingly poorly in that game (24.4 PFF grade) and then did not play the next week against Seattle. Darrisaw played once more — another strong showing against Washington — and then was eventually shut down for the year.
Along the way there were rest days built into his schedule at times and days that he missed practice due to the knee.
It’s hard to know exactly how the dialogue went between CD and the team but it was clear that something never got fully right.
The Vikings need Darrisaw fully right. When he’s at his best, the former first-rounder is a dominating force. They are a different team when they can leave him on an island rather than asking TJ Hockenson to chip on every route. The rushing attack is far more flexible and athletic with him there.
Darrisaw has ranked as high as the No. 2 tackle in the NFL by PFF (2022). He was 6th in 2023 and had a nearly identical grade in 2024 when he got hurt. The overall performance of 2025 was concerning. Had he been on the field enough to qualify as a starter, Darrisaw’s grade would have put him at 38th out of 62.
O’Connell seemed to indicate that the team believes that with rest, he should be able to return next season to the old version of Darrisaw. If not, the Vikings are in a really tough spot. They have to put more consideration into the backup tackle position in 2026 in order to at least have a plan if there are more stops and starts.
If that is the case, then the long-term future of CD starts to be questioned as well.
Can Donovan Jackson take another step?
The reviews for the Vikings’ first-round pick were very strong from coaches and teammates and solid from PFF. He graded 37th of 61 among all starters, which was third among rookies and second in pass protection.
His rookie year was made more impressive by his strong finish and ability to fight through injury. He was only a shade off the top 25 in pass blocking grade after Week 11 and gave up zero sacks and just nine QB pressures. These numbers came despite battling an ankle injury at times. Earlier in the year, he fought through a wrist injury that required surgery. He played while it was still broken against Cincinnati and returned early.
These are things that are often required to be a top-notch offensive linemen. But that wasn’t the only thing that impressed coaches. Jackson’s talent for learning things quickly caught their eye in camp and remained a strength during the year.
Most guards do not hit their peak until Year 3. If Jackson can take a big step forward, he can establish himself as a high-quality starter or better for years to come.
Is there room for improvement with Will Fries?
Last offseason, the Vikings’ biggest fish in free agency on the offensive side was guard Will Fries, a violent, large guard who developed from a seventh-round pick to a difference maker in Indianapolis. The Vikings gave him a five-year, $88 million deal, going all-in on improving the interior of the O-line, which O’Connell called for after the Vikings lost in the playoffs to the Los Angeles Rams.
In Year 1, it’s important to note that Fries only carried a $6 million cap number in 2025 and that his contract is really much more along the lines of a two year deal because the Vikings have to decide whether to pay him a $10 million bonus on the third day of the league year in 2027.
Still, Fries’ production did not quite live up to the hype of his huge reported number. By PFF, the ex-Colt was the 35th ranked guard out of 60 overall and 34th in pass protection. In terms of Pass Blocking Efficiency, he was 53rd and gave up the 4th most total pressures. At the end of the year, Wes Phillips noted that improvement in pass protection was going to be needed for Fries going forward.
That’s not exactly what you are looking to hear when the Vikings’ guard from last season Dalton Risner finished 16th by PFF in pass pro in 2025 and had an elite grade in a smaller sample for the Vikings in 2024. Had the run blocking been massively better, the “yeesh” reaction might be different but it wasn’t. Fries was 35th and Risner 17th, despite his reputation as a struggling run blocker.
That doesn’t mean the contract has to be a bust. Fries’ cap number is going up to $17 million next year but can be restructured down under $10 million. He also has the capability to improve.
We have to include the context that he joined the Vikings after breaking his leg, which set back his offseason. He wasn’t able to be a full go until part way through training camp. That may have impacted his performance late into the season. Through the first 12 weeks of the season, Fries ranked by PFF as the 13th best pass blocker in the NFL. That’s much more along the lines of what they expected. His performance only started to fade late in the year.
With a full offseason in 2026, Fries has a chance to get back to full health and put together a top-notch season. That’s the rosy view. The cynical angle would be that the Vikings were desperate and overpaid for someone who never had a full, top-notch season. The only other time Fries played more than 800 snaps, he ranked 29th overall and 25th in pass protection.
It is worth mentioning, however, that it’s very difficult to get bang-for-buck in free agency. Landing an average to above-average guard is still overall a net positive and Fries has a physical nature and football intelligence that gives him a high floor.
What will they do at center?
When Ryan Kelly was in the Vikings lineup, it was a revelation. Among all players with at least 200 snaps, he graded as the fourth best center in the NFL by PFF. That certainly matched the eye test and beyond. Kelly’s handling of the line of scrimmage was art. He was able to work through opposing teams’ blitzes and stunts and his size/power combo stopped violent rushers in their tracks.
The problem is that he was only able to play 329 snaps due to three concussions. While Kelly is still under contract for 2026, the Vikings would be extremely reckless to bring him back after those injuries.
What can they do in his absence?
The options are not ideal. They could have a competition between Blake Brandel and Michael Jurgens. In 2025, Brandel struggled as a run blocker but finished 12th by PFF among starting centers as a pass protector. Jurgens had a 54.2 grade, which would have been in the bottom five had he qualified with enough snaps.
Jurgens could take a step forward as a player who was just drafted two years ago. But the Vikings likely can’t take the risk of hoping that he will step up. They need a quality center to either handle JJ McCarthy or a new quarterback.
How will they find this quality center? The free agency market does not look promising, so the Vikings may have to turn to the draft and spend a relatively high selection on a center.
Will they extend Brian O’Neill?
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