There is one Minnesota Vikings rookie we aren’t talking enough about, and it’s been staring at us the entire time
Outside of the quarterback competition, the run game for the Minnesota Vikings’ offense is the biggest storyline.
The quarterback competition between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy has been the No. 1 talking point when it comes to the Minnesota Vikings. Each practice has been scrutinized to the extreme, and it’s likely going to continue through the first preseason game.
The offense as a whole is really interesting to break down. Wide receiver has seen some intriguing players break out, while the offensive line doesn’t have any major storylines. Well, there is one, but it’s more about the totality of the running game.
Max Bredeson could be the key to launching the new Vikings running game
Rookies have been the talk of training camp, especially Charles Demmings’ success. He’s made plays at just about every practice, posting multiple PBUs and going toe-to-toe successfully with Justin Jefferson.
We could also talk about Caleb Banks and Jake Golday, who are flashing their elite levels of athleticism, with the latter making some impressive plays. One player who hasn’t gotten a lot of discussion has been fifth-round pick fullback/tight end Max Bredeson.
It’s not always easy for a rookie fullback to stand out, but the new run game approach, led by Frank Smith’s wide-zone heavy attack, will begin to expose Bredeson to the world.
“Since he got here, the mental approach,” said O’Connell. “There’s different types of players, right, and there’s very few that can sit in a meeting room, [and] don’t need walk-through reps, don’t need a rep of it to then start applying their own high-level awareness that we know they have, but sometimes it takes a little time depending on the position. He’s already shown he can apply that.”
That high level of football IQ was evident at Michigan, where he developed fast as a tight end after being a high school quarterback. Having that mental acumen is huge for playing in O’Connell’s offense, and he pairs it with an impressive physical game as well.
“It’s been great seeing the physical side of it, because you just never know from a standpoint of the different types of runs we’re doing. You guys have seen it. We’re asking to do a lot, lot of different alignments and movements. Things like that, and then he’s still able. He’s always been really good getting fit in space on blocks, but he’s also been a really physical presence for us to help get runs started,” said O’Connell
We got to see a bit of that physical element on Sunday night when he leveled a defender out of bounds after catching a pass in the flat.
All of this seems familiar to Smith, who spent four years as the Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator, drawing up plays for Mike McDaniel’s high-powered offensive attack. Does the name Alec Ingold mean anything to you? He was the fullback in Miami for Smith, and Bredeson feels like a perfect fit to fill that rule, and O’Connell is bullish on what he can be.
“Obviously, still a long way to go. But he’s had a great camp, and not surprised in any way, shape, or form with that,” said O’Connell.
We haven’t seen the full potential of the running game and how Smith will change things, but early returns are great, with Bredeson having a major impact on how it will go down.
