GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah entered the new league year with a clear goal.
Already equipped with one of the NFL’s best offensive tackle duos in Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill, and a loaded group of EDGE rushers on defense in Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner, the Minnesota Vikings turned their attention to the interior lineman positions on both sides of the football.
The investment has been massive. Counting recent first-round pick Donovan Jackson and his $17.1 million rookie contact, the Vikings have spent over $200 in max potential value to overhaul the trenches. Here’s the full breakdown:
- G Will Fries — 5 years, $87.7 million
- DT Jonathan Allen — 3 years, $51 million
- DT Javon Hargrove — 2 years, $30 million
- C Ryan Kelly — 2 years, $18 million
- G Donovan Jackson — 4 years, $17.1 million (rookie contract)
- Total: $203.8 million
Source — Spotrac
Minnesota is being lauded for its aggressive approach to the offseason, as better protection and an improved rushing attack stands to benefit first-year starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The latest flowers came from Bleacher Report, who ranked the Vikings’ moves to bolster the trenches No. 4 overall in their rankings of the top 25 moves of the 2025 offseason.
“After winning 14 games last year but faltering in the postseason, the Vikings went hard at the offensive and defensive lines in the offseason,” B/R’s Gary Davenport wrote. “The former added center Ryan Kelly and guards Will Fries and Donovan Jackson, while the defensive line added a pair of high-dollar tackles in Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. This isn’t going to be an easy team to push around at the snap in 2025.”
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