Starting in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings stressed pronounced emphasis on bolstering the offensive trenches. It began with Brian O’Neill, taken via 2nd Round in 2018, and culminated in 2021 with the selections of Christian Darrisaw and Wyatt Davis.
In the middle of all that was Garrett Bradbury, Minnesota’s starting center drafted from North Carolina State in 2019. The 1st-Rounder was the Vikings first opening-round OL pick since Matt Kalil in 2012. And before that, the last time Minnesota elected for an offensive lineman in the 1st Round was 2002 with left tackle Bryant McKinnie.
But from 2018 on, it has been a new era for the Vikings offensive line — at least in terms of draft-pick attention.