The Minnesota Vikings invested heavily this offseason to upgrade their offense, especially along the offensive line. One of the team’s major downfalls late last season — during their losses to the Detroit Lions in Week 18 and to the Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs — was their inability to protect quarterback Sam Darnold. With Darnold now gone, rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy is set to take the reins, making strong protection even more crucial in 2025.
The Vikings received a boost on June 10 when left tackle Christian Darrisaw returned to individual drills at mandatory minicamp, according to Vikings.com. Darrisaw had been sidelined with a knee injury suffered in Week 8 against the Rams. At the time of his injury, the 2021 first-round pick was performing at a Pro Bowl level. The Vikings had acquired Cam Robinson last season to fill in, but he has since moved on to the Houston Texans.
Despite playing just seven games in 2024, Darrisaw earned recognition as one of the league’s top offensive tackles, ranking 11th out of 140 qualifiers per Pro Football Focus. In July 2024, Minnesota signed him to a four-year, $104 million extension through 2029. He turns 26 before the 2025 season.
Minnesota didn’t stop with Darrisaw. They made major moves in free agency to reinforce the offensive line’s interior. The team signed former Indianapolis Colts guard Will Fries to a five-year, $88 million contract and brought in Colts center Ryan Kelly on a two-year, $18 million deal.
The Vikings also addressed the offensive line in the draft, using the 24th overall pick on Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert projected that Jackson would likely start on the left side, replacing 2024 starter Blake Brandel.
Although Minnesota didn’t draft any other linemen, the addition of Jackson and the new veteran starters suggest a complete overhaul of the interior line. Combined with Darrisaw’s return, the Vikings appear poised to field a significantly stronger offensive front in 2025.
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