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Left Guard No Longer a Weakness for Vikings?
By Andrew Buller-Russ,
1 day ago
Last year, the Minnesota Vikings entered the regular season with Ezra Cleveland as their starting left guard. By Week 7, he was replaced by free agent signee Dalton Risner. Cleveland was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he became a mainstay in their starting lineup from Week 9 on.
Cleveland ranked 38th among all guards last season, per Pro Football Focus. This was a direct tie with Ed Ingram. Meanwhile, Risner ranked 46th. However, now Risner is under contract for a measly cap hit of $2.4 million. Cleveland? He signed a three-year, $24M contract with the Jaguars this offseason. That’s a huge difference.
The Vikings also got a sixth-round pick in exchange for trading Cleveland. This pick was later used to select Oklahoma offensive tackle Walter Rouse. But now that the Vikings are gearing up for a new season, it’s not Risner who’s expected to reclaim his starting left guard spot, it’s Blake Brandel instead, and he’s off to a strong start.
Blake Brandel turning Vikings’ left guard spot into a strength
Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports
After Vikings left guards ranked in the middle of the pack last season, the front office wanted to find a way to improve the offensive interior. But they may have had their solution on the roster all along, in Blake Brandel.
Brandel was a sixth-round pick in 2020. He’s played in 39 games with the Vikings, making five starts in the past three seasons. Last year, his 55.1 PFF grade would have placed him 53rd among guards. But the 27-year-old may have improved in a big way since we last saw him play.
At 6-foot-7, 315 pounds, he looks more like an offensive tackle than a guard. Yet, Brandel is now installed as the Vikings’ starting left guard in training camp, receiving more snaps than ever. But, according to The Athletic’s Alec Lewis, Brandel’s play has stood out, in a good way during Vikings camp.
“Brandel has held his own. He is, for lack of a better term, massive; larger than Dalton Risner, certainly, at 6-foot-7. There has not been a moment throughout camp where left guard has been a worry . The first real test will come in a couple of weeks in Cleveland when Brandel is facing off against Dalvin Tomlinson and Za’Darius Smith. For now, his solid start warrants a mention.”
If Brandel can not only hold down the starting left guard all season, but excel in between Christian Darrisaw and Garrett Bradbury, it could be a major development for the Vikings. Like any player who’s never received consistent playing time, there could be some growing pains. But in Brandel’s case, it could help that he’s now entering his fourth season in the NFL , meaning he knows what type of competition to expect.
Now that just leaves right guard, where Ed Ingram is doing his best to fend off Risner for the starting job. But Ingram is also entering his third full season as a starter, so if he wants to live up to his potential as a former second-round pick, it’s now or never.
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