When you grow up with the last name Fries, you will hear people refer to you as every different type of French fry. Are you struggling to make a decision? Waffle Fries. Put on a few pounds? Steak Fries. Weekend at the beach? Boardwalk Fries.
So it was no surprise that new Vikings’ C Ryan Kelly said he gave new RG Will Fries the potato-related nickname “Spud” after the Indianapolis Colts drafted him in 2021. In hindsight, it’s an appropriate nickname for a player who grew from being one of the last picks in the draft (248th overall) to becoming the most coveted RG in the 2025 free-agent class.
The Minnesota Vikings have been lacking quality guard play for what seems like a decade at this point. Joe Berger put in a few decent years under Mike Zimmer, but you really have to go back to Brandon Fusco in 2012 to find an elite season from a Vikings’ guard. Even then, the legendary Steve Hutchinson is probably the last player to consistently make an impact in Minnesota for multiple years.
While I’m not comparing him to a Hall of Famer, after studying the tape, I’m convinced that, over the course of his contract, Will Fries will be the best guard the Vikings have had since Hutch. Let’s dive in and see what he brings to the table.
run game
The Colts run significantly more gap-scheme runs than the Vikings. The first thing that jumps out is the push Fries can get on double teams on gap runs, whether he’s combo blocking with Kelly or RT Braden Smith.
To me, some of the most entertaining plays are Blindside-like blocks where linemen drive grown men off the field, and Fries nearly does that on the play below against Montez Sweat. It’s impressive to watch him explode into contact with his pads low, then immediately drive his feet while lifting Sweat upwards to gain leverage and push him far back.
Smith was also part of the double team, but he barely had to do anything due to Fries’ overwhelming force:
While not every play is a highlight like the above, the tape consistently shows great push from combo blocks. I call this resetting the line of scrimmage, and there are so many examples of it. The play below shows Fries and Kelly pushing back the nose tackle four yards, with their feet starting on the five at the snap and ending at the one.
Look at the horizontal displacement Fries gets on the DT below. He moves him from roughly the hash to halfway between the hash and numbers.
Here’s another example of Fries and Smith knocking back a defender, this time, the 330 lb. Tedarrell Slaton. He moves him so far back that they also take LB Quay Walker out of the play to spring a big run.
To be clear, it’s impressive to get push on a double team, but the goal of those blocks is also to get one player off the double to block a player on the second level. The play below shows that skill, where Fries and Smith drive Gervon Dexter back, and then Fries can engage Tremaine Edmunds and push him back even further.
While his power and displacement ability are his hallmarks as a blocker, Fries also has good movement ability to fit into Minnesota’s scheme. In the play below, Fries was able to get out to a wide edge rusher, not an easy task. He then displays a nice finish ability to put the defender in the dirt.
Here’s another example of Fries executing a reach block, this time on Kenny Clark, who shifted to become the 1t on the opposite side of the center before the snap. The slant by the DL plays into Fries’ hands, but he does a good job of adjusting to seal off Clark and not overrun his assignment.
Another thing you look for in linemen for zone schemes is the ability to climb to the second level and seal off LBs and DBs. This can be difficult, as those smaller players are quicker.
Fries consistently targets and latches on to defenders on the second level. The play below was his most impressive rep, as he had to outrun T.J. Edwards, who starts to his left, to his spot, and then he sealed him off to the right to help spring Jonathan Taylor‘s big gain.
The play above wasn’t a one-off; Fries consistently does this well. Check out the compilation below:
pass protection
Fries’ strength in the run game carries over to pass protection, where he has a solid anchor. In the play below, he uses a hop technique to reset his leverage and anchor, then uses strong hand placement in the defender’s chest and good footwork to prevent Dexter from disengaging:
Fries consistently does a good job of resetting his hands into advantageous positions for pass pro, like on the play below:
Fries is good at defending his outside edge as a pass protector. He will set towards the player and, on this rep, uses great hand placement to turn him and run him past the quarterback.
Fries is able to translate his outside setup into an anchor and power. Below, Clark’s first step is upfield on a rush, and Fries widens to meet that, but Clark transitions to try to rush through him. Fries anchors against that and then turns Clark’s attempt at a swim move into an impressive pancake.
Fries’ willingness to set to the outside can leave him susceptible to inside moves, but he has the recovery quickness to make the block anyway. The play below is a good example. The pressure is exaggerated because Anthony Richardson drifts in the pocket. If Richardson had dropped straight back, this would not have even seemed like pressure as Fries turned his defender upfield.
I haven’t even gotten to what might be the most exciting part of Fries’ pass protection yet: his awareness. Fries works seamlessly with his teammates, Smith and Kelly, to pick up blitzes and stunts. The play below is a great example. The Chicago Bears have four threats to the right of center, and the Colts only have three blockers.
Based on Kyler Gordon‘s alignment inside of A.D. Mitchell, there’s a hint that he might blitz. Still, Fries has to get out to block Dexter first. When Edmunds drops, freeing up Kelly, Fries simultaneously recognizes that and Gordon’s blitz. He’s able to pass off Dexter to Kelly and pick up Gordon in one smooth move. This is really impressive stuff.
The stunt pickup, which has long been an issue for the Vikings, was consistently great by the Colts’ offensive line. The Chicago Bears didn’t run a ton of stunts, but the Green Bay Packers did. Here’s a compilation of Fries working with Kelly and Smith to pick up several stunts. The awareness and ability to play as a unit shines through.
His Biggest Issues
While Fries’ tape was very exciting, a couple of blemishes popped up. He has a small tendency to overcommit outside, something that led to a pressure (albeit in quick game) here:
That outside commitment led to the one true pressure I saw Fries give up over the course of two games, this loss against Dexter:
In addition, while he consistently drives players back in the run game, and doing so requires him to get his pads low, he is tall for a guard at 6’6 3/8″. That can lead to pad-level issues against players who play with great leverage. This is a good example against Andrew Billings, where he gets knocked back into Taylor’s running lane.
Below is another example where Fries gets too tall as he tries to drive the defender backward, leading to a tackle for DeMarcus Walker.
Again, this is not a major concern. These are two blemishes over the course of 50 run plays from these two games. Still, it’s worth noting that there are a couple of mishaps.
Conclusion
Will Fries is the guard Vikings fans have been pining for since the days of Berger and Fusco. He has the movement skills to explode off the line and execute reach blocks or climb to the second level and latch on to LBs. Once he gets his hands on you in the run game, it’s over. He has great grip strength and leg drive to move defenders off their spots. His pad level is generally good, but he can sometimes lose the leverage battle due to his height.
In pass protection, Fries continues to show his strength with a nice anchor and great hand placement to control rushers and turn them out. He sometimes sets too wide, but he has solid recovery quickness, showing the ability to mirror inside moves. He really shines with his awareness and understanding of protections, making him able to identify blitzers and work with his teammates to pick up stunts. Because his Colts teammate Ryan Kelly is also joining him on the Vikings, it’s very exciting to see how well the pair works together in this area.
Assuming he’s fully healed from his broken tibia, Fries has the ability to be a Pro Bowl guard in his first year as a Viking. His combination of solid movement skills and great strength make him a fit for Kevin O’Connell‘s zone scheme. KOC also ran a significant amount of Duo last year. Fries’ intelligence in pass protection will lead to significantly fewer busted protections on stunts than we’ve seen in years past.
This is an awesome signing, and I swear I’m not just saying that because we share a last name.