Ed Ingram is the latest name to join a ragtag inside attack group for the Minnesota Vikings. He may not be able to correct all of Rick Spielman’s mistakes at the waiting and center positions, but he can be the reliable body up front that the team desperately needs.
General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah crosses his T’s and dots his I’s at the waiting position.
Since the inception of free agency, he has signed Jesse Davis, Chris Reed and Austin Schlottmann on transactions. On Friday night, he took things a step further by using the No. 59 overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft to select Ingram from LSU.
The Vikings were in the bottom half of the league last season along the attacking front, despite some talented dives in Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill.
They clearly struggled at the inside positions with Garrett Bradbury and Oli Udoh.
You can therefore expect Ingram to immediately compete in this offense for a starting position. No, he’s not a player who’s going to blow anyone away from an athletic perspective, but he’s a tough blocker up front who’s technically healthy in both the running and passing fights.
Its versatility also stands out because it gives the Vikings flexibility in their alignments. Sure, he started 11 games last season on the left side of the Tigers, but he also has experience playing on the right guard.
He will therefore give Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell an opportunity to mix and match to find the best attacking group.
The Vikings were in the bottom half of the league last season in Pro Football Focus’ attacking rankings, with Bradbury (60.2) and Udoh receiving the lowest points (54.7).
Ingram is by no means a savior, but he could be part of the solution to a long-standing problem in Minnesota.
