Kuper said he was aware of O’Neill before he came to Minnesota, adding the existing talent of O’Neill and rest of the O-line room captured his attention while he was searching for his next coaching role.
“The whole group, the whole room kind of made it appealing to come here, specifically guys like Brian — a smart player who’s done it for a while, [has] good athleticism. It’s been great,” Kuper said.
Kuper added O’Neill’s leadership is seen through being highly attentive to the details that often go unnoticed. Those details have helped O’Neill limit his sacks allowed this season to just four.
“Just the small things that maybe not everyone sees,” Kuper said. “Whether or not we’re going hard enough in individual [drills]… and overall, this year working with Ed [Ingram] as a rookie, he’s taken on another role to kind of help him move along.”
O’Connell said having a leader like O’Neill on the line has made his transition into his first year as a head coach a much easier one.
“Just overall, that offensive line group consistently being led by a guy like Brian, who’s in my opinion been one of our foundational leaders,” O’Connell said. “His performance level has been very consistent and that puts you at ease as a play caller and coach. We feel strong about our depth, but that right side has been pretty darn effective for us on that edge.”
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