The Minnesota Vikings may not be finished building up their offensive line, even after addressing key positions during free agency — and they might not wait until the 2025 draft to make their next move.
Dalton Risner, a former Vikings and Broncos guard, revealed during an April 16 TikTok livestream that Minnesota has recently shown interest in bringing him back. The 29-year-old, originally drafted in the second round by Denver in 2019, played in 10 games for the Vikings in 2024, starting eight at right guard after replacing Ed Ingram. He also started 11 games at left guard for Minnesota in 2023.
“Minnesota has shown some interest in re-signing me,” Risner said, “but only to an extent. They paid big money for another guard, so I think any opportunity would have to be on the other side of the line. Blake Brandel is a great player, so I’m not sure what their plan would be.”
Risner made it clear he’s still a free agent but is optimistic about his next move. “I’ll be on a team soon,” he told fans. “Could be the Vikings, could be Denver, maybe Cincinnati. I’m talking to multiple teams. We’ll see where the journey takes us.”
After signing a one-year, $2.4 million deal with the Vikings last season, Risner could return at a more favorable rate this time around. Spotrac projects his market value at a two-year, $6.7 million contract — a reasonable ask considering his performance. In 2024, Risner earned the third-highest pass-blocking grade among Vikings linemen, while Brandel ranked 11th, per Pro Football Focus.
The Vikings signed former Colts guard Will Fries to a five-year, $87.7 million deal and center Ryan Kelly to a two-year, $18 million contract this offseason, reshaping the core of their O-line. Still, their interest in Risner shows there may be more moves to come before the 2025 campaign kicks off.
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