The Minnesota Vikings have used a somewhat strict policy of creating workout thresholds for potential rookies at the combine and various pro days and might do so again. A number of teams do so to cut their board down from 300-plus players to 150 – the Patriots board is often 75 players – and though the Vikings have moved on from their old models, they may be implementing a new set of thresholds when selecting their players.
We don’t know the new set of thresholds the Vikings have implemented over the last two years, but we may be able to reasonably guess. For offensive linemen, they seem to have two sets of thresholds: one for offensive tackles and one for interior offensive linemen.
Offensive tackles should run a short shuttle of 4.78 seconds or faster, while jumping 8’4” or further in the broad jump. Interior linemen not only must meet those two requirements but should run a three cone of 7.84 seconds or faster.
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Notable Mentions
A number of offensive linemen did not complete the requisite workouts to be considered, and could complete those workouts at their respective pro days to finish these numbers. If they don’t, that probably will not eliminate them from the Vikings board, but it could be a red flag worth noting.
Georgia tackle Isaiah Wynn, who will play guard in the NFL, and Ohio State guard Billy Price, are the two most notable names on the interior offensive line who did not complete the short shuttle drill (among other workouts), making it impossible to determine if they fit the Vikings thresholds. Both are likely high on the Vikings draft boards, as they are excellent players who should fit into the Vikings system perfectly.
Should Billy Price not compete at Ohio State’s pro day on March 22, that won’t be too big a red flag. The pectoral injury he suffered at the combine during the bench press isn’t expected to clear up by then, but he should be ready by the time training camps start. A day earlier, on March 21, Isaiah Wynn is expected to perform the full gamut of drills.
Minnesota native Frank Ragnow, who played center for Arkansas, is also worth noting. He could be the top center in the draft and it would be a good story to see the Chanhassen product return home. Unfortunately for the purposes of this piece, he doesn’t make the cut for the same reasons as Wynn and Price — no drills at the combine.
Ragnow has said that he will do all the drills at his pro day on March 26.
Skyler Philips, a guard from Idaho State, hit the marks at short shuttle and broad jump, but missed on the three-cone drill. He could improve that at his pro day, but it may not be relevant — the three cone threshold is relatively new and could be a coincidence instead of a strict guideline that the Vikings use.
The other top guard in the draft, Will Hernandez, is likely high on the Vikings board regardless of these results. But his poor performance in the short shuttle (until he potentially resolves it on his pro day on March 28) might drop him further down their board than other teams do.
Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame
In the extremely unlikely scenario that Nelson fell within reach of the Vikings, there’s not much chance that they would let a few workout scores stop them from drafting a guard who quite a few draft analysts are calling the best player in the class. Nelson has movement skills, power and technique, Lance Zierlein, son of legendary offensive line coach Larry Zierlein and current NFL.com scouting analyst, compared Nelson to Hall of Famer Larry Allen.
Connor Williams, Texas
There’s some steam that Williams could be asked to play guard and not just tackle, but for now, he remains one of the top tackle prospects in the NFL draft. After a dominant freshman season and an incredible sophomore season, Williams seemingly fell off before an injury. His athleticism speaks to his potential, but scouts will be asking if he’s going to be who he was in 2017 or 2016.
James Daniels, Iowa
A seemingly late riser in the process, Daniels looked fluid in Indianapolis and has been described as a consistent center with a high floor. Though his pass blocking numbers aren’t phenomenal, the people at Pro Football Focus like him anyway for his balance and body control. Though the Vikings aren’t necessarily looking at centers, Daniels could slip late in the process and be fantastic swing backup fodder for a zone-centric team like Minnesota.
Brian O’Neill, Pittsburgh
O’Neill has been lauded for his athleticism and length for some time, but his performance still stands out as one of the two best out of all the offensive linemen at the Combine, just behind UCLA tackle Kolton Miller. With one of the best three-cone scores for an offensive lineman in NFL combine history – 7.14 seconds – O’Neill showcased an ability to run with more flexibility than many wide receivers and a good chunk of running backs. The Pittsburgh tackle struggled early on in Senior Bowl week, but was an efficient pass protector in college. He’ll need to add weight, but that shouldn’t detract from his unreal movement ability.
Tyrell Crosby, Oregon
Crosby is an enormous athlete with a good wingspan and a solid understanding of leverage. He did extremely well at the Senior Bowl at tackle, and used his understanding of angles and natural strength to win off the ball. On film, he had some issues with quickness, but still excelled in Oregon’s zone-running scheme. Great recovery skills always give him a chance to win a rep but he needs to be more consistent with his initial hand-fighting technique. He should be available in the middle rounds and it won’t take too long to coach him up to an NFL level.
Wyatt Teller, Virginia Tech
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl0Rdz769UA&t=24s
If there’s a theme to the 2018 draft class of offensive linemen, it’s “didn’t play as well in 2017 as they did in 2016.” Teller is another iteration of the same, and continued that poor performance at the Senior Bowl. Regardless, his athletic ability — combined with his fantastic strength – make him a fit for any scheme, and if focused, could be a top-tier guard in the NFL. Teller is a polarizing prospect; Zierlein has him as a sixth- or seventh-round type while Rob Rang at NFLDraftScout has him as a third-round prospect.
Mason Cole, Michigan
Cole has played both center and tackle for the Wolverines and could be asked to be a versatile swingman in the NFL as well. His 51 consecutive starts are a record for Michigan, and he was the first true freshman in the storied program’s history to start the season opener on the offensive line. An aware, agile player who could stand to gain some strength, Cole could be the Vikings’ next foray into the Big Ten for their offensive line needs.
Kolton Miller, UCLA
The story of the combine thus far, Miller set an NFL combine record in the broad jump with a leap of 10’1”, three inches further than combine superstar and Pro Bowler Lane Johnson. With an immense wingspan and explosiveness to match, Miller could be a coach’s dream. He needs to make better use of his natural quickness, but his ability to long-arm opponents has allowed him to be one of the statistically superior pass protecting tackles in this year’s draft.
Brandon Parker, North Carolina A&T
Despite a poor showing on the first day of the Senior Bowl, Parker demonstrated consistent improvement when exposed to NFL coaching and could make good on his immense frame and upside at the tackle position. He has room to add more muscle and already carries his frame well when moving. He will need to do a better job with footwork and needs some more refinement with hands technique but has natural instincts at the position that many “upside” players do not — he’s already grasped some of the fundamentals that developmental players struggle with.
Joe Noteboom, TCU
More of a work-in-progress than a day-one starter, Noteboom has a lot of technical issues to clean up and could stand to gain some muscle mass. That said, Noteboom has shown technical progress over his final year at TCU – his first at tackle, and his likely eventual NFL position. His speed and explosiveness may make him an intriguing late pick.
Scott Quessenberry, UCLA
Brother of Houston Texas lineman David Quessenberry, Scott has an NFL pedigree that could benefit his adjustment to the next level. The medicals will be important for him because of surgeries on both shoulders in 2015, but has seemingly played well since then. His grip strength is fantastic – something the Vikings seem to target in their linemen – and he plays with balance. His power is refreshing at center, but his speed has been a question. With some fairly good workouts, he may have put those questions to rest.
Leka Uhatafe, Utah
A victim of terrible tragedy, Uhatafe’s commitment to the familial atmosphere of football will appeal to NFL teams. While he’s not ranked as a draftable prospect for many media boards, his baseline movement and power give him a great chance to earn an invite into NFL training camps as a guard. From there, his ability to latch on to blocks may make or break his level of success.
Greg Senat, Wagner
If Senat succeeds, fans will tire of hearing his name connected to Wagner basketball, where he started 22 of 104 games. He’s started two years on the football team at right tackle, and though he needed to keep his weight down for the basketball team, still performed well. With his weight up for the combine, he still needs to answer long-term concerns about how his frame will stand up to the next level and he could still add some more muscle. His length should suit him well and he’s been good about using his quickness in space, but he will have to work on upper body strength to take advantage of that length and work off of a better base.
Coleman Shelton, Washington
Another center who has played everywhere along the line of scrimmage, Shelton’s home will be on the inside calling protections. Though his strength is an issue, his experience, quickness and leverage usually give him an advantage to stalemate the competition he played against in the PAC-12. In an NFL workout environment, he’ll have to improve both his lower- and upper-body explosiveness, but demonstrates the technical knowledge to be a consistent backup for a long time.
