What To Expect From Vikings' Second-Year Players?

The Minnesota Vikings drafted 15 rookies in the 2020 NFL Draft. The coaching staff and Vikings’ fans across the world are all excited to see how these young players do in their first seasons and how they fit into the overall structure of the team. However, the Vikings also have a lot of second-year players who could have big roles this upcoming season. Here’s a look at four second-year Vikings and what we can expect from them in their second seasons in the NFL.

GARRETT BRADBURY

The Vikings took Bradbury with the 18th overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft. Production-wise, they got their money’s worth, as he started every game for them last season, including their two playoff games. His play on the field was a little erratic, though. Bradbury was a better run blocker than pass blocker as a rookie. He was able to get to the second level and make key blocks down the field that would add extra yardage to some Dalvin Cook runs. Bradbury’s elite athleticism also allowed him to get outside in a hurry and lead plays around the edge.

It’s in pass protection where Bradbury struggled. He had trouble fending off big nose tackles, and players like Kenny Clark, Shelby Harris and Nick Williams destroyed the Vikings’ young center. A lot of the pressure Kirk Cousins faced in 2019 came right over Bradbury, so his pass protection is the area he really needs to improve in 2020. He finished his rookie season with an overall PFF grade of 58.0, which ranked him 31st out of 38 centers qualified centers. His 38.7 pass-blocking grade was dead last of that group.

To improve his pass protection, Bradbury needs to simply get stronger. Hopefully he has spent the majority of his offseason in the weight room adding muscle and mass to his frame. If he can add strength, that will allow him to better anchor against some of the big nose tackles he’ll face this season.

Expect Bradbury to take a step forward in 2020. If he’s able to improve his pass protection, that will help him become a more consistent player. A second year in Kubiak’s zone-blocking scheme should do wonders for him, and if he can finish the season with a higher PFF grade, which lands him more in the middle of all ranked centers, that should be seen as a huge win.

DRU SAMIA

The Vikings took this big man in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He impressed early in offseason practices with his massive frame and movement skills and generated a lot of buzz. There were rumblings he would compete and could potentially beat out Josh Kline for the right guard spot. When training camp began, Samia found himself running with the third team. He struggled to move up the depth chart but did end up making the final 53-man roster.

Samia was inactive almost the entire season except for two games. He saw his most work in the meaningless season finale against the Bears, in a game where neither team had anything to play for. He logged 31 snaps in that game and played pretty well, opening up holes in the running game and allowing Sean Mannion ample time in the pocket. However, with neither team having anything to play for, it is very difficult to take too much from this performance.

Samia is a favorite to land a starting job in 2020. He has to battle for that spot with players like Dakota Dozier, potentially Oli Udoh if the Vikings move him inside, and rookies Blake Brandel and Kyle Hinton. This former fourth-round choice should be seen as the favorite, and the Vikings will give him every opportunity to win the job. There has to be a reason the Vikings didn’t use a high 2020 draft choice on a guard, or bring in a veteran. They must feel Samia is ready to take on a much larger role, and believe he can be their right guard in 2020 and beyond. Expect to see Samia start a plethora of games for the Vikings this season, potentially as an upgrade to what the Vikings have put on the field at guard in recent seasons.

OLI UDOH

The Vikings took this small-school standout in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Coming from unheard-of Elon, he was expected to be someone who would basically need to redshirt his first season as he acclimated to the NFL game. That is exactly what happened, and he logged just 31 snaps his rookie season. Like Samia, those all came in the season finale against the Bears. Udoh played with a lot of aggression and was even able to pancake the great Khalil Mack on one play. That was an impressive debut, but again, with the Bears having nothing to play for, it’s hard to take too much from that game.

There have been rumblings that Udoh could slide inside to guard and compete for one of those jobs this season. He certainly has the athletic ability to play guard, and that could be a role he excels at. What could dump a little cold water on that plan is the lack of OTAs and mini-camps and a potentially shortened preseason. Without the reps in practice, he may not be ready to make that adjustment this season.

He could still be tried at guard this season but should be considered a long shot to earn a starting job. Expect Udoh to be used as a swing lineman this year. He could come in and sub at either of the tackle positions or be used at guard. He may not start any games in 2020 but should see his snap count grow exponentially, as the aggressive blocker will be an asset coming off the bench or giving the starters a breather.