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Blake Brandel Has An Important Season Ahead With Vikings
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- Blake Brandel Has An Important Season Ahead With Vikings
(Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images)
The Minnesota Vikings ' 2026 season opener against the Green Bay Packers is inching closer, and there are several players facing important seasons. Starting center Blake Brandel might be one of the most intriguing.
After the retirement of Ryan Kelly, Minnesota needed to figure out a replacement at center quick. The Vikings ultimately decided that Brandel, who has experience playing multiple positions along the interior of the offensive line, was the right man for the job.
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What makes that decision interesting is that Minnesota had an opportunity to address the position much earlier in the 2026 NFL Draft.
According to The Athletic 's Alec Lewis , the Vikings believed Brandel's floor was comparable to what they would have received from a rookie center they could have selected early in the draft.
"That was the decision they made, just believing that the floor Blake Brandel gives you, would match what that rookie would've given," Lewis said via KFAN .
That decision came with legitimate alternatives. After Minnesota selected linebacker Jake Golday 41st overall, Iowa center Logan Jones and Florida center Jake Slaughter were both selected in the same round.
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Rather than using one of those picks on a potential replacement for Kelly, the Vikings chose to trust their sixth-round pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, who had already been in their system and had experience at the position.
Now, Brandel has to make that decision look smart.
The upcoming season is a significant opportunity for Brandel to establish himself as more than just a versatile offensive lineman who can fill in wherever Minnesota needs him. He now has the chance to prove that he can be the team's long-term answer at center.
There is reason for optimism. Brandel has spent years developing within the Vikings' offensive line and has already gained experience playing center when injuries forced him into the role. That familiarity should help him as he takes on the responsibility of being the full-time starter.
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However, being a temporary replacement and being the unquestioned starter are two very different challenges.
Brandel performance will be important for Kyler Murray, who enters his first full season as Minnesota's starting quarterback. The Vikings believe their offensive line can be one of the team's strengths and can protect Murray, but Brandel is now a key part of that equation.
The season opener will provide the first real opportunity to see whether Minnesota's confidence was justified.
If Brandel plays well throughout the season, the Vikings could look back at their decision to pass on a center early in the draft as one of the better decisions they made this offseason.
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But if he struggles, questions about whether Minnesota should have invested an early pick in the position will naturally follow.
For Brandel, that makes 2026 about much more than simply replacing Kelly. It is a chance to prove that the Vikings were right to believe in him.
