The Minnesota Vikings made a big decision at the center position a year ago, releasing long-time starter Garrett Bradbury and looking for an upgrade in Ryan Kelly.
Unfortunately, a series of concussions led Kelly to call time on his career and leave the Vikings in a bit of a pickle. Head coach Kevin O'Connell recently revealed some of the team's thinking as we head towards the 2026 season.
After a quiet free agency, it seems like the Vikings plan to use in-house promotions or the draft to find long-term successors to outgoing players. O'Connell was asked about the center position, and Blake Brandel making a permanent move to center this offseason was his response.
It's an interesting decision for a couple of reasons: firstly, it gives the impression that Michael Jurgens either isn't fancied to make progress in Year 3 or is a name to watch when it comes to roster cutting time. Or perhaps, even more surprisingly, is viewed as the potential stater himself. It also leads me not to expect the Vikings to sign any of the FA options on the table.
Aug 27, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Blake Brandel (64) stretches before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports.
Brandel is now the clear frontrunner for the center job that was vacated by Kelly's retirement. Free agents were expensive this year, and Brandel makes some sense as a cheap option for a team working under tight salary cap restraints. However, if the plan is for Brandel to be the team's starting center, I'm not completely comfortable with it, and fear it will turn into a costly mistake.
A sixth-round pick for the Vikings back in 2020, Brandel has proved to be a versatile and valuable offensive line piece for the Vikings. Coming into the league as an offensive tackle, he made dice starts over his first three seasons in Minnesota.
A move to guard in 2024 saw him start every game before he was dropped back to a depth role last season. Such was the Vikings' injury crisis on the OL last season that Brandel saw plenty of action, including serving as the emergency replacement at center.
Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings guard Blake Brandel (64) blocks for quarterback Sam Darnold (14) against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
In 2025, Brandel found himself on the outside looking in after Minnesota spent big money in free agency on Will Fries and drafted Donovan Jackson in the first round. An early-season injury to the rookie led to Brandel being inserted back into the lineup for a couple of games.
Then there was a catastrophe in Minnesota as both centers on the roster, Kelly and backup Michael Jurgens, suffered injuries during the Vikings' jaunt overseas for the international series games. It saw Brandel take over the duties at center in Week 5; at that time, Brandel had never had any game time at center in his career at any level.
Brandel logged 363 snaps at center last season, mostly during a seven-game spell in the middle of the season. He will always provide solid blocking on the OL. That's why he's continuously on the Vikings roster year after year. He did that playing center; however, he struggled with the snapping pace of the job and is still largely inexperienced with the nuances of the position that are so important at the highest level of the game.
May 31, 2023; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings Blake Brandel poses for a photo. Brandel dazzled onlookers in a Week 1 game versus the New York Giants in 2024, tallying a 91.2 Pro Football Focus Grade. Mandatory Credit: NFL Photos-USA TODAY NETWORK.
This is where I have my concerns. Players switching to center certainly isn't unheard of, but doing so at 28 (now 29) feels a bit late. It could be that the Vikings see it as a short-term solution, with the draft giving them a shot at finding the long-term solution. With three picks on Day 2 of the draft, Minnesota should be well-positioned to take one of the top-rated centers in this year's draft – should they want to.
Brandel as the clear choice at center appears very risky, but as a placeholder for a rookie makes more sense. Then he can return to his depth role, which covers every position on the OL and makes him so valuable to the team.
