Going into the 2022 season, right tackle Brian O’Neill was the Vikings top offensive lineman, which the team confirmed when he was signed to a five-year, $92.5 million extension ($18.5 million per year) that kicked in last season.
The GM’s View: Darrisaw Likely the Next Vikings 1st-Time Pro Bowler
O’Neill had another excellent season until his Achilles injury in Week 17 against the Packers cut his season short, and he was certainly missed in the playoff loss to the Giants. But as the 2022 season progressed, left tackle Christian Darrisaw stepped up his performance compared to his rookie season when he had a slow start due to a groin injury, and Darrisaw is now on equal footing with O’Neill or perhaps slightly ahead, at least according to many NFL analysts who rank Darrisaw among the NFL’s top 100 players and top 25 under the age of 25.