The Minnesota Vikings have three players right now that are arguably irreplacable and they lost one of them against the Los Angeles Rams when left tackle Christian Darrisaw went down with a torn ACL and MCL at the end of the first half.
It was a brutal injury for both Darrisaw and the Vikings, as their offensive line is built upon the Vikings having two star offensive tackles with Darrisaw and right tackle Brian O'Neill. Without Darrisaw, the Vikings will have to make a major adjustment in how they handle their protection calls and they will have to have someone play left tackle.
Who could they turn to at the position? There are options available to them where not all hope for the 2024 season is lost.
RT David Quessenberry
The most likely option for the Vikings is Quessenberry. He signed with the Vikings' practice squad ahead of the 2023 season to be a swing tackle. He eventually was signed to the active roster and played in six games with four starts.
During those six games, Quessenberry played 331 offensive snaps with 94 at left tackle and 236 at right tackle. He was solid in his time with an overall grade of 64.8 and a more impressive pass blocking grade of 68.3. He allowed just one sack and 16 total pressures with a pass blocking efficiency of 96.1%. Those are all solid numbers for a swing tackle and they could easily carry over for the Vikings this year.
Now, I wouldn't count on Quessenberry to do the job that Darrisaw was doing. However, give him a little bit of help with a tight end or running back on occasion would make a big difference.
LG Blake Brandel
One of the intriguing options for the Vikings is at left guard. Brandel was a sixth round pick out of Oregon State in 2020 and has been with the Vikings his entire career. The Vikings signed Brandel to a three year, $9.5 million contract this offseason and he earned the starting left guard spot.
Why would the Vikings want to make it so they have two positions to replace? They do have Dalton Risner about ready to come back from injured reserve who could slide into his old position of left guard and Brandel was drafted as a left tackle.
Before the Vikings moved him to left guard in 2023, Brandel played significant snaps at left tackle when Darrisaw suffered multiple concussions in 2022. He faired relatively well. Over 181 pass blocking snaps, Brandel allowed 13 pressures but a very high seven sacks for a PFF grade of 55.3. His biggest issue is not being able to handle speed rushers on the outside. Brandel doesn't have the quickness to kickstep deep enough to handle it. He can be fine if there are tight ends and running backs chipping against the higher caliber athletes.
Outside options
A trade is a option for the Vikings but there aren't a lot of option. Tyron Smith of the New York Jets would be an intriguing option but the incentives on his contract essentially eliminate him from being an option.
In all honestly, there aren't many upgrades at left tackle the Vikings can turn to. If they do choose the free agent route, there are a few options the Vikings could inquire about.
- D.J. Humphries: A first-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2015, he played in 922 snaps for them in 2023. He allowed just four sacks and 28 pressures across the 15 games he played. He is probably the best option for the Vikings.
- David Bakhtiari: The biggest thing with Bakhtiari is whether or not he can pass a physical after his knee injuries. If he is healthy, coming anywhere close to the All Pro status he once held would be a huge benefit for the Vikings.
- Donovan Smith: He started last season for the Kansas City Chiefs but played very poorly. Across 688 pass blocking snaps, Smith allowed 53 pressures. He could come at a discount and has played well in the past.
