The Minnesota Vikings‘ experiments at the guard position have not gone well.
They haven’t had the same starting guard duo return from a previous season since 2013. And while they’ve leaned on continuity to carry the unit this season, third-year starter Ed Ingram continues to struggle.
Since 2022, Ingram has led the league with 122 pressures allowed in 39 games played. Of the 66 guards who played 150 snaps through the first five games of the season, Ingram had allowed the second-most pressures (17), per Pro Football Focus (PFF).
Appraising the Vikings’ biggest needs, Bleacher Report called for a change in philosophy — splurging at the position — that would make Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith a high-priority free-agent addition next offseason.
“Guard is a trouble spot on Minnesota’s roster right now, as [Dalton] Risner is expected to replace Ed Ingram when the former comes off injured reserve. However, Risner is a free agent in the offseason, meaning the position will be one of the organization’s biggest offseason needs,” Bleacher Report’s Week 7 Scouting Report reads.
“Smith will arguably be the best guard available on the open market as he’s been an excellent player during his four-year career. Through five games in 2024, the 25-year-old earned an 84.5 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF) and had only surrendered 10 pressures with no sacks.”
Chiefs’ Trey Smith Would Solve Vikings O-Line Issues
Spotrac projected Smith to garner a four-year, $71.1 million contract in 2025 free agency. It’s a hefty bill to front, but Minnesota has the sixth-most effective cap space available ($63.9 million) to spend next offseason.
Landing Smith would be the final fortification of an otherwise formidable offensive front.
Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw are Pro Bowl-caliber bookends at right and left tackle, respectively. Blake Brandel has played well at left guard and while there are concerns about Garrett Bradbury‘s pass protection, the addition of Smith would surely help Bradbury.
The Vikings have faced a gauntlet of strong pass rushers through the early stretch of the season, but if Ingram cannot turn his performance around, Minnesota could look to next year’s free agency to solve the most porous part of the offensive line.
PFF ranked Smith as the 13th-best guard in the league entering this season, which has been his best to date.
“Smith has the unenviable task of ensuring the NFL’s best quarterback stays upright, and he has earned a PFF overall grade of at least 71.0 in three straight seasons. While he has allowed more than 30 pressures in each season, only 15 were quarterback hits. Generally, Smith is as solid as they come,” PFF’s Thomas Valentine wrote.
“Availability has been a big green tick for Smith since he was drafted in 2021. He has missed just one game in three seasons, playing 3,319 snaps in that time. A true potential stalwart.”
Vikings Should Splurge in the J.J. McCarthy Era
The idea of paying top money to a guard would be unsustainable without the benefits of building around a rookie-scale contract — but that’s what the Vikings have for the next three to four seasons with J.J. McCarthy.
McCarthy’s average salary of $5.4 million is breadcrumbs compared to the average starting quarterback contract in today’s NFL.
Nine quarterbacks make more than $50 million a year while 20 make north of $25 million a season. A veteran quarterback comes with limitations that a team hopes a veteran can help the team overcome.
With McCarthy, the Vikings have time to develop him and give him the best-supporting cast and environment to thrive.
A splurge signing at guard may not bring the same value at a different position, but it is an addition that could pay dividends when considering the overall impact on the entire offense and McCarthy’s development.
