The Minnesota Vikings will have a new quarterback behind center next season.
As such, they can’t afford to have him running for his life on every dropback.
They didn’t fare well in that regard last season, which is why Sam Darnold struggled to do much when it mattered most in the playoffs.
With that in mind, Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman of PFF pointed out that pass protection was their biggest weakness ahead of this season:
“Minnesota ranked 18th in PFF pass-blocking grade last season, which isn’t horrible, but the team’s season eventually unfolded due to its inability to consistently protect Sam Darnold. The interior unit struggled all year and, eventually, the team felt the loss of star left tackle Christian Darrisaw, who suffered a season-ending injury in Week 8. Over their final six games, the Vikings recorded a 54.4 team PFF pass-blocking grade, ranking second worst in the NFL. Fortunately, Darrisaw should return to good health and the Vikings will have three new starters along the interior,” Chadwick and Wasserman shared.
Of course, getting their starting left tackle will do wonders in that regard, but even so, those injuries are tricky, and he might need a little time to adjust and get back to his usual self.
The Vikings knew they needed to do better and put J.J. McCarthy in a position to succeed in his first season as a starter.
They chose to revamp the interior of the offensive line by bringing in OG Will Fries and C Ryan Kelly from the Indianapolis Colts.
They doubled down on that approach by taking Donovan Jackson out of Ohio State in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Granted, changing three-fifths of the offensive line might lead to some time to make adjustments, but Kelly and Fries know one another perfectly, and Jackson looked like an NFL-ready player in his final season with the Buckeyes.
McCarthy is coming off a major injury, and they have to do whatever it takes to make sure he stays safe and sound while he gets used to the feel and speed of the pro game.
