07-05-2020, 11:17 PM
Throughout a rookie season in which he started every game from Week 1 to the divisional round of the playoffs, Bradbury's mobility was obvious and his sky-high upside was shown in flashes. However, his main perceived weaknesses entering the NFL – length, power, anchoring ability – didn't suddenly fix themselves, and the results weren't pretty. Bradbury surrendered 29 pressures and four sacks, and his pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus was a very poor 41.4. He was solid as a run-blocker but was overwhelmed by interior pass-rushers like Kenny Clark and Grady Jarrett.
It's not nearly time to panic about Bradbury just yet. Historically, it takes offensive linemen longer to adjust to the NFL and have success than it does players at most other positions. Bradbury was better in the second half of his rookie year than the first and is too talented to not improve in his second season, but whether he takes a minor step forward or a major one remains to be seen. If he remains stagnant in year two, especially in pass protection, it might be time to start being concerned that Bradbury could follow the path of Elflein, who won the 2016 Rimington Award at Ohio State but didn't cut it as a starting NFL center through two seasons.
Read: The Top 10 Offensive Rookies the Vikings Will Face in 2020
Speaking of Elflein, the 2017 third-round pick is running out of time to salvage his career – at least as a starter – as he enters year four. Like Bradbury, Elflein is an athletic player who is valuable as a run-blocker. But the move to left guard didn't solve his issues in pass protection, as he surrendered a team-high 32 pressures and six sacks. At this point, it's now or never for Elflein, who will be a free agent after the season. He has dealt with various injuries throughout his career, but he was relatively healthy last season and still struggled. Elflein will face plenty of competition at left guard in 2020; Rick Spielman said after the draft that there will be "wide-open competition" at both guard spots.
That open competition also applies to the right guard position, where the release of Kline has created a gaping hole. The favorite to take over that starting job is Dru Samia, who the Vikings selected out of Oklahoma in the fourth round last year. Samia essentially "redshirted" during his rookie season, working with offensive line coach Rick Dennison on his technique and consistency. Samia, who is eight years younger than Kline, possesses an intriguing combination of mobility in the running game and anchoring ability against bull rushes. Spielman and Zimmer have praised him on multiple occasions throughout this offseason; it's clear that the Vikings would love for Samia to step up and emerge as the team's right guard of the future this year
https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/viki...t-bradbury
It's not nearly time to panic about Bradbury just yet. Historically, it takes offensive linemen longer to adjust to the NFL and have success than it does players at most other positions. Bradbury was better in the second half of his rookie year than the first and is too talented to not improve in his second season, but whether he takes a minor step forward or a major one remains to be seen. If he remains stagnant in year two, especially in pass protection, it might be time to start being concerned that Bradbury could follow the path of Elflein, who won the 2016 Rimington Award at Ohio State but didn't cut it as a starting NFL center through two seasons.
Read: The Top 10 Offensive Rookies the Vikings Will Face in 2020
Speaking of Elflein, the 2017 third-round pick is running out of time to salvage his career – at least as a starter – as he enters year four. Like Bradbury, Elflein is an athletic player who is valuable as a run-blocker. But the move to left guard didn't solve his issues in pass protection, as he surrendered a team-high 32 pressures and six sacks. At this point, it's now or never for Elflein, who will be a free agent after the season. He has dealt with various injuries throughout his career, but he was relatively healthy last season and still struggled. Elflein will face plenty of competition at left guard in 2020; Rick Spielman said after the draft that there will be "wide-open competition" at both guard spots.
That open competition also applies to the right guard position, where the release of Kline has created a gaping hole. The favorite to take over that starting job is Dru Samia, who the Vikings selected out of Oklahoma in the fourth round last year. Samia essentially "redshirted" during his rookie season, working with offensive line coach Rick Dennison on his technique and consistency. Samia, who is eight years younger than Kline, possesses an intriguing combination of mobility in the running game and anchoring ability against bull rushes. Spielman and Zimmer have praised him on multiple occasions throughout this offseason; it's clear that the Vikings would love for Samia to step up and emerge as the team's right guard of the future this year
https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/viki...t-bradbury
