The Minnesota Vikings made the offensive line their primary priority for the offseason, using significant resources in free agency and the draft to change all three interior spots.
Not only did their sobering exit from the playoffs last season reinforce the necessity of more reliable protection that allows the strong potential of their downfield passing game to be realized, but they’ve struggled to produce a consistent rushing attack in recent years with particular problems on short-yardage plays.
kAm$@ E96J D:8?65 C:89E 8F2C5 (:== uC:6D 2?5 46?E6C #J2? z6==J E@ 3:8 4@?EC24ED 2?5 5C27E65 =67E 8F2C5 s@?@G2? y24 2?5 2 DEFC5J 5676?D6 @? E96 @E96C D:56] qFE D@>6 @7 E96 36DE\=2:5 A=2?D 😕 E96 }u{ 92G6 366? 3J DA@:=65 :?;FC:6D[ 2D E96 ‘:<:?8D 92G6 366? C6>:?565 E9:D >@?E9 5FC:?8 E96:C a\a DE2CE]k^Am
kAm%96J 92G6?VE 925 E96:C AC@;64E65 DE2CE:?8 @776?D:G6 =:?6 E@86E96C 7@C 2?J @7 E96:C 7@FC 82>6D[ 2?5 :?;FC:6D @? $F?52J 5FC:?8 E96:C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^DE66=6CD\G:<:?8D\D4@C6\5F3=:?\:C6=2?5\f6hcg3adff6b66eg`gahaddb3c`f_4haQmac\a` 56762Ek^2m 3J E96 !:EED3FC89 $E66=6CD 😕 sF3=:? 92G6 7FCE96C 52C<6?65 E96:C @FE=@@< FA 7C@?E 7@C E96 E:>6 36:?8]k^Am
kAmz6==J H2D A=2465 😕 E96 4@?4FDD:@? AC@E@4@= 7@C E96 D64@?5 E:>6 😕 E9C66 H66:DD 2?J E:>6[ 9FCE 9:D 66 2?5 H2D 36:?8 6G2=F2E65 7@C 2? |r{ :?;FCJ] y24
kAm“(6’C6 DE:== 7:8FC:?8 :E @FE[ ;FDE 562=:?8 H:E9 5:776C6?E 4:C4F>DE2?46D[ :?;FC:6D[ A6@A=6 92G:?8 E@ DE6A FA 😕 5:776C6?E DA@ED[” C646:G6C yFDE:? y6776CD@? D2:5] “xE’D 5:77:4F=E] %9:D 82>6 @7 7@@E32== 😀 ?@E C62==J AC65:4E23=6[ 2?5 2 =@E @7 E9:?8D 42? C62==J ;F>A 2E J@F H96? J@F’C6 C62==J ?@E 6IA64E:?8 :E E@]”k^Am
kAm|4r2CE9J H2D 4@?DE2?E=J F?56C AC6DDFC6 😕 9:D EH@ 82>6D 367@C6 36:?8 D:56=:?65 3J 2 DAC2:?65 2?<=6] r2CD@? (6?EK 92D 6IA6C:6?465 E96 D2>6]k^Am
kAm“(96? J@F 86E 5@H?[ J@F 5:8 J@FCD6=7 2 9@=6 =:<6 E92E[ E96 s\=:?6 <:?5 @7 A:?D 62CD 324< 2?5 CFD96D 2?5 H6’C6 E9C@H:?8 E:>6 2?5 E:>6 282:?[” D2:5 (6?EK[ H9@ H2D D24<65 D:I E:>6D 3J E96 $E66=6CD 56DA:E6 2 D62D@?\9:89 bfa E@E2= J2C5D 3J E96 @776?D6]k^Am
kAm%96 ‘:<:?8D 92G6 366? D24<65 @? `cT @7 E96:C A2DD:?8 A=2JD[ E96 H@CDE 😕 E96 =628F6 — 2?5 2 9:DE@C:42==J 325 C2E6] ~?=J E96 a_ab }6H *@C< v:2?ED 2?5 E96 a__a w@FDE@? %6I2?D 925 9:896C C2E6D @G6C E96 A2DE bh D62D@?D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ $A@CEC252C]k^Am
kAmQx 5@?’E =@@< 2E :E 2D 2?JE9:?8 >@C6 E92? E96 ?6IE >2? FA[” 4@249 z6G:? ~’r@??6== D2:5] “(6’G6 8@E E@ 4@?D:DE6?E=J 5@ D@>6 >@C6 D:>A=6 E9:?8D 62C=J @? 😕 E96 82>6[ 7C@> E96 DE2?5A@:?E @7 5@:?8 @FC ;@3]”k^Am
k9am(92EVD H@C<:?8k^9am
kAmu@C 2 BF2CE6C324< H:E9 9:D D:IE9 5:776C6?E E62> 😕 D:I J62CD H9@ 92D @?=J 366? H:E9 E96 ‘:<:?8D 7@C 2 >@?E9[ (6?EK 92D 366? 67764E:G6=J DAC625:?8 E96 32== 2C@F?5 2E 2== =6G6=D @7 E96 7:6=5 H96? 96VD 8:G6? E:>6 E@ E9C@H] w6 DE2CE65 E96 82>6 @? $F?52J H:E9 “ DEC2:89E 4@>A=6E:@?D 2?5 7:?:D965 H:E9 bd_ A2DD:?8 J2C5D[ E96 D:IE9\9:896DE E@E2= @7 9:D `_\J62C 42C66C 2?5 9:D >@DE D:?46 ~4E] h[ a_aa[ H:E9 (2D9:?8E@?]k^Am
k9am(92E ?665D 96=Ak^9am
kAm%96 @776?D6 92D DEF>3=65 325=J @? E9:C5 5@H?D[ H9:49 EJA:42==J 8@6D 92?5 😕 92?5 H:E9 2 72:=FC6 😕 A2DD AC@E64E:@?] %96 ‘:<:?8D C2?< 7@FCE9 H@CDE 😕 E96 =628F6 H:E9 2 b_]eT 4@?G6CD:@? C2E6] ~? E9:C5 5@H?D H:E9 36EH66? f 2?5 `_ J2C5D E@ 8@[ 244@C5:?8 E@ $A@CEC252C 52E2[ E96 ‘:<:?8D 2C6 =2DE 😕 E96 }u{ H:E9 ;FDE @?6 4@?G6CD:@? 😕 `a 2EE6>AED Wg]bTX]k^Am
Story continues below video
k9am$E@4< FAk^9am
kAms% y2=6? #65>@?5] %96 =2E6\3=@@>:?8 ae\J62C\@=5[ H9@ DA6?E E:>6 😕 E96 &u{ =2DE J62C 367@C6 =2E49:?8 @? H:E9 E96 ‘:<:?8D[ 925 EH@ D24
k9am$E@4< 5@H?k^9am
kAm{q xG2? !246 yC] %96 E9:C5\J62C A=2J6C =625D E96 E62> H:E9 ag E24<=6D[ 3FE A6C $A@CEC252C EC24<:?8 96 92D D:I >:DD65 E24<=6D[ E:65 7@C E96 E9:C5 >@DE 😕 E96 =628F6] (:E9@FE q=2<6 r2D9>2? ?6IE E@ 9:>[ !246 92D?VE 366? 2D 67764E:G6[ 2?5 A2CE @7 2 CF? 5676?D6 E92E 92D 366? GF=?6C23=6 😕 3@E9 56762ED] !246 2=D@ 2AA62C65 E@ G242E6 E96 K@?6 H96C6 s]z] |6E42=7 42F89E E96 A2DD 7C@> #@586CD 96 EFC?65 :?E@ 2? g_\J2C5 E@F495@H? C646AE:@? @? $F?52J]k^Am
k9amx?;FCJ C6A@CEk^9am
kAm%96 D6E324 =2C86 @G6C E96 82>6 A=2? 7@C E9:D H66<] “q y]y] |4r2CE9J W2?<=6X 2?5 {v s@?@G2? y24:DD 2E =62DE @?6 >@C6 82>6] ~{q p?5C6H ‘2? v:?<6= W?64:DD65 EH@ @7 E96 7:CDE 7@FC 82>6D 2?5 😀 F?46CE2:? 7@C E9:D H66<] r2D9>2? W92>DEC:?8X >FDE D:E @FE 2E =62DE @?6 >@C6 82>6 @? :?;FC65 C6D6CG6] y@?6D W92>DEC:?8X H:== >:DD 2E =62DE EH@ >@C6 82>6D]k^Am
k9amz6J ?F>36Ck^9am
kAmf[fdg — y6776CD@?VD 42C66C C646:G:?8 J2C5286 E@E2=[ AFD9:?8 9:> A2DE p?E9@?J r2CE6C 7@C E9:C5 @? E96 E62>VD 2==\E:>6 =:DE] y6776CD@? ?@H EC2:=D #2?5J |@DD 7@C D64@?5 3J `[ddg J2C5D]k^Am
k9am&A ?6IEk^9am
kAm%96 ‘:<:?8D 7246 E96 r=6G6=2?5 qC@H?D ?6IE E@ 364@>6 E96 7:CDE }u{ E62> E@ A=2J 4@?D64FE:G6 :?E6C?2E:@?2= 82>6D 😕 5:776C6?E 4@F?EC:6D H96? E96J 4C@DD E96 xC:D9 $62 2?5 C6EFC? E@ %@EE6?92> $E25:F> 😕 {@?5@?[ H96C6 E96J H:== DF:E FA 7@C E96 E9:C5 E:>6 😕 7@FC D62D@?D]k^Am
kAm%96 ‘:<:?8D 2=D@ H6C6 E96 C@25 E62> 282:?DE E96 qC@H?D 2E %H:4<6?92> $E25:F> 😕 {@?5@? 😕 a_`f[ H96? E96J A@DE65 2 bb\`e G:4E@CJ] u24E@C:?8 😕 E96 ?6H 4=F3 E96 qC@H?D H6C6 2H2C565 😕 `hhh 27E6C E96 @C:8:?2= 7C2?49:D6 >@G65 E@ q2=E:>@C6 😕 `hhe[ E96 =628F6VD D4965F=:?8 7@C>F=2 C6D6E 😕 a__a 7@C E96 5:G:D:@?2= C62=:8?>6?E E@ 244@>>@52E6 2 ba?5 E62> 2?5 E96D6 EH@ >2E49FAD 😕 {@?5@?[ E96 ‘:<:?8D H:== @?=J A=2J @?6 82>6 😕 r=6G6=2?5 Wa__hX 😕 2 DE2886C:?8 cb\J62C DEC6E49 F?E:= E96JVC6 @? EC24< E@ G:D:E E96C6 😕 a_bb]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmp! }u{i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^}u{Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^}u{k^2mk^Am
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.