The Minnesota Vikings are leaning into a center battle that feels less like a clean answer and more like a gamble they’re willing to make.
At the heart of it is Blake Brandel, the player the Vikings asked to slide into the middle last season when Ryan Kelly’s concussion issues forced a shuffle. That move came with its share of rough edges, but it did enough to keep Minnesota interested.
Now, with Keith Carter taking over as offensive line coach and Christian Darrisaw expected back at full strength, the Vikings are hoping the line can stabilize. Brandel may be the piece that decides whether that happens.
Carter didn’t exactly sound like a coach bracing for a problem when he talked about the group recently on Vikings.com.
“We’re fortunate. We have Blake, who has played and started every position up front, which in this league is unheard of.
His versatility, his smarts, his instincts, his care, is unbelievable. Very few times do you have a player like him that can truly play all five spots.
Then you have Jurgens, who is getting better and better. And I think to have those two guys competing, I think we’re lucky, you know?
Then we draft Gavin in the seventh round, who is another one who’s super smart, super tough and understands football, and I think they all make us better.
...It’s gonna be really cool to see how the fall plays out and wherever the chips fall.”
That’s a pretty optimistic spin for a position group that still has plenty to prove.
Brandel’s numbers at center last season show why this remains an open question. Per PFF, he logged 438 snaps at the spot after moving there in Week 5 and finished with a 56.8 overall grade, which ranked 37th among 42 qualifiers.
He gave up 15 pressures and three sacks on 277 pass-blocking snaps, and the growing pains were obvious at times. One of the clearest examples came in a Week 7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, when a botched snap sailed over Carson Wentz’s head.
Even so, the Vikings have kept talking like Brandel belongs in the conversation. Last spring, Kevin O’Connell praised how quickly he adjusted and said the team wanted to keep building with him at center.
“It was really encouraging to see a guy that had never done it before, kind of seamlessly jump in there and attack that opportunity.
I guess this is the best way to say it: It is great that we feel that good about Blake’s versatility, but ultimately we want to do what’s best for Blake to ascend and reach his highest potential at one position, or have the flexibility still to play multiple [positions].
But what his offseason looks like, what his training camp looks like, and what his workflow looks like leading into the season, we want to have him more than likely at that center spot and build on some things that he did last year.”
That confidence may be tied as much to the rest of the room as it is to Brandel himself.
Michael Jurgens, after basically redshirting his rookie year, got 309 snaps and had his own problems, finishing with a 54.1 overall grade while allowing nine pressures and four sacks on 165 pass-blocking snaps. Gavin Gerhardt, the lone addition to the group, arrived as a seventh-round pick this year and was a surprise selection at 612th on Wide Left’s consensus board.
There are a few paths here that could make the whole thing work. A healthier offensive line would help, and having Smith in place could matter too after he guided a Miami Dolphins ground game that ranked fifth with 4.7 yards per attempt last season.
But there’s no guarantee this becomes a feel-good story. At 29, Brandel could still end up looking more like a utility lineman than a long-term fix, and if that happens, Minnesota’s center issue could still be hanging around when 2026 arrives.
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