Kirk Cousins is a pocket passer, and, like most quarterbacks, he needs more than two seconds to throw a football. If the Minnesota Vikings want to have an aggressive passing attack in 2022, they’ll need to invest in reliable interior offensive linemen. Cousins needs a pocket to step up into, and Garrett Bradbury hasn’t lived up to expectations as a first-round draft pick.
The front office is aware of this and signed Jesse Davis and Chris Reed in free agency. They also recently brought in Tennessee-Chattanooga center Cole Strange for a pre-draft visit.
Sounds nice, right? Think again. Strange is a scheme-dependent prospect whose flaws are eerily similar to Bradbury’s, and the last thing the Vikings need is a Bradbury clone. Minnesota could select Tyler Linderbaum with the 12th pick. However, that would be considered a reach, and even he doesn’t really have that strong of an anchor.
This draft class isn’t particularly strong for centers and guards. But there is one player who is a great pass blocker who should be available on Day 2 of the draft. C/G Luke Fortner is the antithesis of Bradbury. He spent his first two years at Kentucky playing right guard before moving to center for the 2021 season. Unlike other interior offensive linemen in the draft who need to be in an outside zone scheme to succeed, Fortner is a scheme-flexible player who can operate in both man- and zone-blocking schemes.
Pass Blocking
My favorite thing about Luke Fortner’s game is his pass-blocking ability. Fortner plays with a strong anchor and rarely lets big run-stuffing defensive tackles push him into the backfield. He possesses above-average body control and hand usage, which serves him well in pass protection. Against Missouri last year, Fortner was able to keep his defender at bay for a solid four seconds using only one arm for half the play.
Against Georgia, Fortner (No. 79) can overpower his defender before delivering a pancake in demoralizing fashion.
Fortner likes to seal off defenders rather than fully engage with them, often with only half of his body. Look at the play below. Notice how his chest is partially widened before making contact with the defender. It works out for him most of the time because of his functional strength. However, there are instances where opponents use this approach against him.
In the same game against Georgia, Fortner only picks up his man with one half of his chest, which allowed Jalen Carter (No. 88) to come crashing towards the quarterback, who fumbled the football. Fortunately, the call on the field was ruled an incomplete pass.
Fortner also needs to improve his mental processing. This flaw is a bit more understandable since 2021 was the first year he started at center, but Fortner is prone to getting fooled on stunts and twists. Fortner misses his assignment on this play, giving the defender a path to the quarterback, which results in an incomplete pass on 3rd and 10.
Run Blocking
Luke Fortner isn’t the most aggressive run blocker by any means, but I wouldn’t exactly consider it a weakness either. He hardly gets pushed back into the pocket and does a good job of staying engaged with his man for the most part.
On this play, Fortner is tasked with run-blocking against Jordan Davis, a projected first-round draft pick. While Davis technically stopped the run for a minimal gain, I thought Fortner held down the fort pretty well.
Sure, the result may be underwhelming. However, I was impressed with Fortner’s ability to play up to his competition, leading me to a play that led to a better result. Here, Kentucky runs it up the gut and watches Fortner get to the second level before showcasing a bit of a mean streak in the run game.
Here’s another example of Fortner getting to the second level, this time on a screen pass. The quarterback scrambles to his right on this play. He draws the defenders in before throwing across his body to the running back with Fortner out in front to block.
Fortner does a nice job of immediately getting his hands on the defender’s chest, allowing the running back to get a first down. That play shows me that he can fit into an outside-zone running scheme and a man-blocking system.
Conclusion
Fortner is the antithesis of Bradbury because of how different their skill sets are. Bradbury is an athletic center who is best as a run blocker. In contrast, Fortner is a more traditional pass blocker who makes up for his lack of athleticism with above-average body control and technique.
Fortner is one of my favorite interior offensive linemen in the draft. His pass-blocking prowess and his positional and scheme versatility make him a player the Vikings should consider targeting if they plan on passing the ball a lot.
