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News | Minnesota Vikings – vikings.com

5 Things to Know about New Vikings T Brian O'Neill

The **Vikings second pick** of the 2018 NFL Draft is in.

With the 62nd overall selection, Minnesota bolstered its offensive line by adding Pittsburgh tackle Brian O'Neill.

The 6-foot-7, 297-pound lineman started all 12 games at left tackle for the Panthers as a junior in 2017. O'Neill was a First-Team All-ACC selection by conference coaches and the Associated Press and a Third-Team All-ACC selection by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. He also had one carry for 10 rushing yards.

Here are five things to know about O'Neill:

1. Pittsburgh standout

O'Neill played and started 37 games to finish out his college career.

He garnered plenty of attention as a redshirt sophomore in 2016 during which he started all 13 games at right tackle and earned First-Team All-American honors by SB Nation. He also was named Second-Team All-ACC by conference coaches and Third-Team All-ACC by the media.

That season, O'Neill carried the ball twice – and scored two touchdowns. In addition to scoring a 24-yard touchdown on a throwback lateral against Georgia Tech, the speedy lineman added a five-yard score against Virginia Tech.

According to the Panthers website, O'Neill's "unconventional contributions" earned SB Nation's 2016 "Piesman Trophy," which is awarded to offensive and defensive linemen who run, pass or catch the ball.

2. Quick at the combine

O'Neill turned some heads at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, where he topped all offensive linemen in the 40-yard dash, clocking in at 4.82 seconds.

He also came in first among offensive linemen after running the 3-cone drill in 7.14 seconds. His 4.5-second time in the 20-yard shuttle was good enough for fourth among linemen.

3. From tight end to tackle

O'Neill demonstrated his athleticism early on at Salesianum School in Wilmington, Delaware, where he played on both sides of the ball. He was named the Delaware High School Defensive Player of the Year after recording 5.0 sacks and 40-plus tackles as a defensive end.

On offense, O'Neill played tight end and wide receiver. As a senior, O'Neill recorded 33 receptions for 614 yards and eight touchdowns.

O'Neill joined the Panthers as a tight end initially but transitioned to tackle before his redshirt sophomore season.

4. Coming from the East Coast

O'Neill comes to Minnesota as the only Delaware native on the Vikings roster.

He isn't the only player who hails from the East Coast, however. O'Neill joins Tashawn Bower (New Jersey), Stefon Diggs (Maryland), Anthony Harris (Virginia), Jaleel Johnson (New York) and Latavius Murray (New York). O'Neill and Diggs grew up less than two hours from each other.

View images of Pittsburgh offensive tackle Brian O'Neill.

5. A family of athletes

O'Neill isn't the only athlete in his family. His father, Brendan, played running back at Dartmouth, and his mother, Elizabeth, was a swimmer at Northeastern. His brother, Eamon, was a Northwestern soccer player.

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