Vikings select...Brian O’Neill, OT, Pittsburgh

[JDBrocks]

1 minute ago, VikeManDan said:

I had earlier asked what an ideal playing weight for O'Neill was, he's currently listed at 297 lbs. It sounds like @Virginia Viking thinks that 297 is his ideal playing weight. 

I follow that part haha. I don't understand why he would think that playing at 297 would be good for him.

[VikeManDan]

4 minutes ago, JDBrocks said:

I follow that part haha. I don't understand why he would think that playing at 297 would be good for him.

Gotcha, wasn't sure. I agree, I think it would be better for him to get up to that 310-320 range provided he can maintain his athleticism, which I would think he'd be able to do. 

[The Gnat]

I think at 297 you maintain the quickness and you can have a good base still at that weight , especially if he ends up being a LT in the NFL. If he's a RT, I think t hat 310 range would be better.

[SemperFeist]

41 minutes ago, The Gnat said:

I think at 297 you maintain the quickness and you can have a good base still at that weight , especially if he ends up being a LT in the NFL. If he's a RT, I think t hat 310 range would be better.

He has the body type that he should be able to easily add another 10, maybe even 20 pounds, without losing his quickness. 

There’s a lot of room left to pack on some muscle in his upper body. 

[marshpit23]

2 hours ago, Virginia Viking said:

297

I’m thinking light as well. Maybe 305-310 with some added weight room muscle. 

[Krauser]

Lane Johnson was 303 at the draft in 2013, and is now listed at 317. 

So having O'Neill add 15 pounds would be reasonable, get him in the 310-15 range.

[swede700]

 

[SteelKing728]

Its too bad we couldn't get Jaryd Jones-Smith along with O'Neill.

I don't know if I could handle myself if we did that.

[Guest]

On ‎5‎/‎1‎/‎2018 at 9:55 AM, JDBrocks said:

I follow that part haha. I don't understand why he would think that playing at 297 would be good for him.

These leaner guys, when asked to "bulk up" tend to lose significant quickness, and also tend to have more problems with joints.  I think there is a way for O'Brien to gain significant strength, without gaining significant weight.

[Guest]

On ‎5‎/‎1‎/‎2018 at 11:17 AM, Krauser said:

Lane Johnson was 303 at the draft in 2013, and is now listed at 317. 

So having O'Neill add 15 pounds would be reasonable, get him in the 310-15 range.

But gotta remember that he already gained 50 to 60 pounds in college.  I think he has a naturally lean body type...adding much more weight, even 15 pounds might wind up being counter productive.

[vike daddy]

http://www.vikings.com/media-vault/videos/Film-Room-ONeills-Athleticism-A-Fit-For-DeFilippos-Offense/3394e2c1-ff57-4aa1-b7e3-9faeb60dffc0?sf189053409=1

Pete Bercich with his film study.

[dc_vikingfan]

I hope they don't keep switching him between LT and RT.

[swede700]

14 hours ago, dc_vikingfan said:

I hope they don't keep switching him between LT and RT.

That's part of the problem I always had with how they handled TJ Clemmings.  Maybe he never would have been good on the right side, but they massively screwed him up by trying to swap him from side to side, so he never really got comfortable in either one...and has never really been able to catch up.  

[Krauser]

He plays both sides in that film room episode because Pitt played him at RT in 2016 and LT in 2017. His PFF grades were a little better on the right side but he was also good on the left.

TJ Clemmings’ main problem was that he had to play too soon, before he developed his technique, not that he was asked to switch sides. Pretty much every team in the league asks its 3rd tackle to back up both sides (“swing tackle”).

O’Neill is much further ahead technically than Clemmings was, especially in terms of his footwork in pass protection. He mainly just needs to get stronger so he can anchor better. 

Edited May 10, 2018 by Krauser

[Klomp]

5 hours ago, Krauser said:

He plays both sides in that film room episode because Pitt played him at RT in 2016 and LT in 2017. His PFF grades were a little better on the right side but he was also good on the left.

TJ Clemmings’ main problem was that he had to play too soon, before he developed his technique, not that he was asked to switch sides. Pretty much every team in the league asks its 3rd tackle to back up both sides (“swing tackle”).

O’Neill is much further ahead technically than Clemmings was, especially in terms of his footwork in pass protection. He mainly just needs to get stronger so he can anchor better. 

There's another big difference between O'Neill and Clemmings. I don't believe Clemmings had any experience anywhere other than RT in his two years at Pitt. The fact that O'Neill already does have experience at both spots speaks to his versatility. Plus, I think Clemmings was done a disservice at Pitt because they didn't have him switch positions until after his redshirt sophomore season (so three years into his DE development). O'Neill had only one year at TE for Pitt before changing position groups, and played the last three years on the OL.