A sixth-round pick who turned durability and versatility into a starting job and a big second contract on Minnesota's offensive line.
Blake Brandel has become one of the more reliable stories on the Vikings' offensive line, a small-town Oregon product who moved from left tackle in college to left guard in the pros and never gave the job back. Six years into his career, he remains a fixture in Minnesota's trenches.
Path to the league
Brandel started 48 consecutive games at Oregon State, the third-longest streak in school history, and earned Second-Team All-Pac-12 honors as a senior in 2019 after posting the nation's top pass-blocking grade per Pro Football Focus. The Vikings drafted him in the sixth round, 203rd overall, in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
After beginning his pro career at tackle, Brandel settled in at left guard, where he became a full-time starter for Minnesota. His reliability and positional flexibility along the line earned him a three-year, $9.5 million contract extension in 2024, a significant reward for a player once considered a developmental late-round pick.
2025 season recap
Brandel continued as a regular starter on Minnesota's offensive line in 2025, holding down left guard duties as part of a unit that dealt with injuries elsewhere up front. He remained one of the more experienced, dependable pieces of the Vikings' interior line.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Blake Brandel
- Pro Football Reference: Blake Brandel
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Center
- Group
- offense
- College
- Oregon State
- Hometown
- Milwaukie, OR, USA
- Age
- 29
- Status
- active
