Vikings training camp competitions: The eternal search for a guard

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said, “It’s going to be a very competitive camp at multiple positions.” We’re taking a look at each of those competitions as training camp gets underway. Today: Guard.

The Vikings brought Dalton Risner into training camp for a visit last year, but didn’t sign him until he lowered his asking price in September. It took until the end of May for Risner to return to the Vikings on a one-year, $2.41 million deal in 2024, and by that point, the Vikings had brought Blake Brandel back on a three-year deal that suggested he’d get the first chance to start at left guard.

Brandel has started the offseason at left guard, and on the right side, Ed Ingram is now in his third season as the starter. But Risner has started camp working out on the right side, rather than the left; it might not mean open competition for Ingram as of yet, but it does suggest the Vikings are exploring their options at the spot. Let’s take a little closer look at the guard situation:

The Vikings started the year with Ezra Cleveland at left guard and Ingram on the right, just as they’d ended 2022. They signed Risner after their Week 2 loss in Philadelphia, but he didn’t become a starter until after Cleveland was injured in the Vikings’ Week 6 win over the Bears. When the Vikings traded Cleveland to Jacksonville at the trade deadline, it ensured Risner would keep the job on the left side, where he started 11 games for the season. Ingram started 15; though he showed improvement as a pass blocker, he still allowed five sacks and 42 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

In: Doug Nester (undrafted free agent)

Out: Chris Reed (signed with Texans)

Brandel has started only five games in his NFL career, but his stock seemed to be rising with the Vikings last season as he worked out in several different spots. The team gave him a three-year, $9.5 million deal; only his base salary and his $2 million signing bonus are guaranteed in the contract, but Brandel would get another $1.65 million guaranteed next March. In any case, the deal signified the Vikings saw a larger role for him, and the fact they’ve worked Risner out on the right side could indicate their confidence in Brandel on the left.

Can Ingram show he’s the long-term answer? It’s a big season for the 59th overall pick in the 2022 draft, who is heading into his third year and will be a free agent after 2025. If Ingram can play well this year, and especially show he’s improved in pass protection, he might be a candidate for a long-term deal as the Vikings continue trying to fortify the offensive line that will eventually protect J.J. McCarthy. If Ingram’s inconsistencies continue, his future in Minnesota could be in doubt; the Vikings would save $1.522 million in cap space next spring if they released him.