Garrett Bradbury, Center

Garrett Bradbury’s rookie campaign as an NFL center was one to forget, a tune all too familiar for Vikings fans who suffered through the growing pains of another interior offensive lineman in Pat Elflein not long before Bradbury’s arrival.

But Elflein was about to develop into a quality player for the Minnesota Vikings, and there’s reason to believe Bradbury can have a similar growth as he gains familiarity with the Vikings’ offense. Before writing Bradbury off after a poor rookie season, it’s important to remember that the Minnesota center is young, and has plenty of athletic ability.

Bradbury’s NFL Combine in 2019 was about as good as it gets — and a big part of what lead to his selection in the first round. He showed speed with his 4.92 40-yard dash time (third-best for offensive linemen), strength with his 34 bench press reps (second-best for offensive linemen), and quickness with a 7.41 three-cone shuttle time (best for offensive linemen). 

Athletic ability doesn’t always translate into NFL success, but it’s clear that Bradbury has the raw skill needed to thrive at the professional level. All he needs to do is develop his technical skill to match his athletic ability, and with a full season worth of NFL familiarity under his belt, developing those technical aspects should come easier.

Once Bradbury figures out the NFL game, he could develop into a high-quality starting center in the league. And with an entire offseason to mentally and physically prepare after experiencing the speed of the NFL first-hand, that development might come as soon as this season.