Minnesota Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw is one of the most irreplaceable players on the roster — but Minnesota must find a suitable replacement if they hope to keep their playoff ambitions alive.
Among several veteran free agents, former Pro Bowl left tackle D.J. Humphries was deemed a potential replacement by KSTP’s Darren Wolfson.
“They are exploring some outside options,” Wolfson said on October 29. “The name I would keep an eye on more than any other, it’s D.J. Humphries.”
A 2015 first-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals, Humphries played eight seasons, starting in 98 games, in Arizona. Coming off a 2021 Pro Bowl season, Humphries signed a three-year, $66.8 million extension in the 2022 offseason. He tore his ACL in December 2023 and was released by the Cardinals in a cap-saving move in March.
Humphries was cleared to return this month, prompting a visit to the New York Giants on October 22.
Wolfson added that David Bakhtiari and Charles Leno Jr. are also in consideration.
However, any outside addition to the locker room would be a delayed solution to the left tackle spot.
Minnesota’s plans at the spot remain under wraps approaching a primetime matchup with the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night.
‘The Reality is, There is No Replacing Christian Darrisaw’
At the end of the day, the Vikings must find a way to put their best five offensive line on the field, which could lead to some shifting of the current starting unit.
Left guard Blake Brandel, drafted in the sixth round of the 2021 draft as a tackle, has taken live reps at left tackle before. He’s a better option to take over than backup David Quessenberry.
The void at left guard would be filled by Dalton Risner, who would return to his most familiar spot on the line after weeks of speculation surrounding the benching of right guard Ed Ingram.
However, replacing Darrisaw isn’t as simple as putting a new body on the end. The Vikings offense will have to schematically change.
“The reality is, there is no replacing Christian Darrisaw. Teams draft and develop players for years without finding a player of his caliber. Making up for his absence will also take schematic adjustments,” Purple Insider’s Matthew Coller wrote. “So far this year, Sam Darnold is the third slowest QB in the NFL in terms of snap to release time. The two ahead of him are scramblers. Darnold has also taken sacks on 10.0% of his drop-backs, which ranks among the highest in the league. The ball has to come out faster now.”
Vikings’ Trade Deadline Needs Remain Unchanged
Despite a recent two-game skid, the Vikings’ goals at the trade deadline should remain unchanged.
Defensive tackle and cornerback remain positions that could benefit from acquiring a player that fits in the team’s long-term plans and is worthy of a first-round pick.
The guard position does have its concerns and could benefit from some competition. The Vikings hold a pair of fifth-round picks they can offer or potentially dip into future draft capital.
A trade this year would show the locker room the organization is behind the team despite losing Darrisaw for the season.
