The Vikings Welcome a New Large Lad to Town

The Vikings are expecting good things from the front five in 2026. Some of that is due to health, some of that is due to the coaching change, and some of that is due to what appears to be a firmer commitment to the running game.

Part of the effort to beef up the o-line involved welcoming a newcomer into the mix.

The Vikings have announced that interior o-lineman Joshua Gray has been signed: “The #Vikings have signed G Joshua Gray and released DL Eric Johnson II.” Removing Johnson from the mix means losing a veteran DT; the timing is at least somewhat fortuitous for him since he has runway to find a job with a team looking for added muscle on the defensive side of the trench battle.

What does Mr. Gray bring to the table? Is he being brought aboard as insurance for some Blake Brandel inconsistency?

The Vikings Welcome a New Large Lad to MIN

In all likelihood, the recent add is a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option rather than a true contender to start in Week 1.

Indeed, if there is going to be an in-house pivot at C1, then Michael Jurgens is the name to know. He gets praise for being a smart, hard-working player. Where he loses is in his lack of anchor against power. Think Garrett Bradbury but not the same athlete and not on the same level overall.

Jurgens, at least, could offer predictably sturdy snapping and what would probably be below average blocking. Is that better than the current outlook?

Consider just a quick thought on Gray from Alec Lewis of The Athletic: “The Vikings are signing C/G Joshua Gray, per sources. Adds more depth on the interior. Most recently been with the Panthers. Was on the Falcons’ PS last year. Smaller frame but can really move off the ball.”

Brandel brings much to the table. The do-it-all player has been around for the entire O’Connell era (he got added in the same draft as Justin Jefferson; debates have raged since about who is better). As a result of being in Minnesota so long, he’s very well-equipped to make adjustments at the line of scrimmage, which is a very important task.

So, too, is he a pretty good athlete. In fact, he gets into green grass well on screens and can climb to the second level to dance with linebackers. Nobody should expect the second coming of Jason Kelce out there but Brandel is a player with good size, movement abilities, and a great understanding of the game.

Where he creates uncertainty is in his ability to snap. Or, perhaps, an inability to snap. Only a single bad snap every few games can be enough to be a major problem where the margin for error is ultra thin.

For whatever it’s worth, note that rookie lineman Caleb Tiernan is described as being week-to-week with an ankle injury from the Giants preseason game. That reality doesn’t necessarily impact Brandel but the overall depth has been depleted some. Gray’s arrival can help with Tiernan missing time, at minimum.

Take a listen to what Kevin O’Connell had to say:

As things stand, the backup guard spot(s) is a battle. Walter Rouse looks like a contender to be that swing guard. Maybe Henry Byrd could get tossed into the mix. If healthy, Tiernan could look to move inside in the same way that Ezra Cleveland transitioned from college OT to NFL OG. He’d need to ensure he gets low since he’s tall like an OT — close to 6’8″ — but there’s potential for him to be very good.

Joshua Gray will be looking to show that he is part of the collective solution for the Vikings’ OL. Getting added so late doesn’t leave him with a ton of time to make an impression but he’ll be looking to prove he belongs. He can do so through physical, competitive play while also boasting positional versatility.

Gray is 26.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.