The Roster Bubble
Once a major point of contention, Minnesota finally has two bookend tackles that help solidify the ends of the offensive line. With Darrisaw on the left side and O’Neill on the right, the tackles are set. However, the interior offensive line does not inspire hope. As Minnesota prepares for their second preseason bout against Tennessee, who can stand out? With 15 offensive linemen on the active roster currently, some are teetering on the roster bubble. Add in the rumblings of a potential Dalton Risner or Ben Jones signing and the future of half of these players are in question. Who will make the squad as a depth piece or potential rotational lineman? Let’s dive in and take a look at one potential name to know.
Josh Sokol – Player Profile
Josh Sokol is a second-year center out of Sacred Heart who went undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft cycle. Standing at 6’3”, 290 pounds, Sokol is someone who is roughly the same size as starting center Garrett Bradbury. The former Pioneer spent the entirety of the 2022 season on the practice squad and looks to crack the roster in his sophomore season. As a college prospect, Sokol played 47 games over four years. An incredibly consistent stallworth in the middle of the line, Sokol served as a two-time team captain. Not heavily penalized in college, Sokol doesn’t turn heads but is incredibly consistent in terms of reliability and play. Sokol’s greatest asset is his knowledge of the game, he’s smart. However, his availability and football IQ is not what puts him on the roster bubble. Instead, Sokol needs to clean up his play as FCS competition is vastly different from NFL talent. As a run blocker, Sokol is fine but as a pass blocker, he needs to develop.
With a player profile out of the way, what can Josh Sokol offer Minnesota? Truly, Sokol is working to unseat Schlottman/Reed. He is a young, cheap name that can mold into a rotational backup or potential starter to replace one or both of these names. Though he does get beat by more powerful, technically sound players too often, Sokol occasionally shows flashes. His 61.3 PFF grade after the Seattle game isn’t great, but it isn’t bad, especially for someone who didn’t play at all in 2022. Let’s be honest, Minnesota has an interior offensive line problem. Optimistically, coaches listed the sophomore center as LG2 on the initial depth chart release. This versatility provides another position he can play and confidence from coaches. As a player, Sokol does need to be able to play more physically and improve his blocking to help provide time in the pocket for whoever is slinging the ball but there’s potential. With said improvement in the final two preseason games, Sokol could be someone who coaches desire to continue to develop on the active roster.
The Verdict
Can Josh Sokol survive the roster bubble? Yes, but probably no. He plays a position of need, but his viability against NFL talent is still suspect. Though he is dependable, he may not be sound enough to be put into live action in the NFL. Add to this Minnesota has been linked to a handful of free agent linemen and has a stable of versatile linemen… The chances of Sokol making the roster are slimming. The young lineman could ball out and make a late preseason push, but another year on the practice squad is more likely. As a player, Sokol comps really well to Nick Easton, who Minnesota acquired from San Francisco back in 2015. Easton took some time to develop, but was a consistent, not dominant presence on the interior line. Once he took the field for an injured Joe Berger, he let his play speak loud enough to stay in the rotation. For a path to the gridiron, Sokol should look to do the same.
Projection: Fringe Roster Candidate, Practice Squad Signing
