The Minnesota Vikings are poised to make a run this season after a 4-0 start, and that could prompt the team to be buyers at the trade deadline.
One unsung name that fans clamored for over seven years ago could be on the trade block in Arizona Cardinals guard Will Hernandez.
The Viking Age’s Adam Patrick pitched Hernandez as a replacement to starting guard Ed Ingram, who after leading the league in pressures allowed in the past two seasons, has allowed the sixth-most pressures (12) this season, per Pro Football Focus (PFF).
“Leading up to the 2018 NFL Draft, there were a number of players Minnesota Vikings fans wanted their favorite team to select with its first-round pick. One of these players was former UTEP offensive guard Will Hernandez, but instead of using their top selection to improve their offensive line, the Vikings used the pick on former UCF cornerback Mike Hughes,” Patrick wrote on October 4.
Considering the Cardinals are 1-3 and Hernandez is in the final year of his contract, Arizona may be looking to regain some draft capital after not re-signing him before the start of the season. The Vikings did the same with 2020 second-round pick Ezra Cleveland last year, sending him to the Jacksonville Jaguars at the trade deadline.
Hernandez would be an improvement as a pass-blocker while also offering the same upside as Ingram in the running game.
“They both perform at a similar level when it comes to run blocking, but Hernandez is much better when it comes to protecting the quarterback,” Patrick added. “Ingram’s PFF pass-blocking grade ranks 65th out of 68 qualifying guards in the NFL this season, while Hernandez’s PFF pass-blocking grade this year has a much more respectable ranking at 23rd.”
Hernandez, 29, may only cost the Vikings their fifth-round pick in next year’s draft.
Will Hernandez’s Impressive Combine Performance Paved Way for All-Rookie Nod
A second-round pick by the New York Giants coming out of the 2018 draft, Hernandez’s combine performance catapulted him into Day 2 territory of the draft despite being a small-school prospect.
His 37 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press graded in the 97th percentile of all offensive linemen. His speed was overshadowed by his strength. Hernandez’s 5.15 40-time graded in the 80th percentile of guards.
Those traits translated to the next level. Hernandez was selected to the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team.
After struggling with penalties earlier in his career, Hernandez committed just one penalty across 1,109 offensive snaps in 2023, according to PFF.
His consistency would be valuable for the Vikings, whose offensive success has come with a more balanced attack than in years past.
Veteran guard Dalton Risner is approaching his return from an injury he suffered during the offseason, however, his ability as a run-blocker is limited.
Vikings Inclined to Stand By Ingram
For the Vikings, continuity has been key on the offensive front.
Despite Ingram’s struggles since he was drafted as a second-round pick in 2022, the team has stood by him and allowed him to develop. He’s started in every game for Minnesota the moment he arrived.
“We’re going to keep giving Ed chances to be the Ed we want him to be, because he sets a tone in the run game,” general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said in August, per the Minnesota Star Tribune. “He’s somebody we want on the field for us.”
Ingram is often maligned as the weak link on the offensive line, but he’s proven serviceable over the years and is a road grader in the run game.
His ability as a pass-blocker is still coming along, although he has shown improvements. He may not be a perennial Pro Bowler at the position, but the Vikings have liked what they’ve seen enough to continue to start him.
They made the right call in identifying backup tackle Blake Brandel, who’s allowed just three pressures this season, as their starting left guard for 2024. The Vikings should be given some grace in seeing Ingram’s development through.
“I feel like I’ve grown a lot just seeing the overall defense,” Ingram said, per the Star Tribune. “Like the first two years, I wasn’t seeing stuff in the defense, I was just blocking. But now I can kind of see when pressures are coming.”
