Minnesota Vikings: Rookie Spotlight on Center Brandon Fusco

For this installment of Vikings Rookie Spotlight, we'll look at center Brandon Fusco from Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania.

Fusco was one of the four players drafted by the Vikings in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. The Vikings selected Fusco with the 172nd-overall pick.

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is an NCAA Division II school, which was probably the reason Fusco's stock was held so low.

Fusco's 6'4" 315-pound frame works to his advantage as a center. His sheer size allows him to play well in pass protection. Because he is so big, it is very difficult for defensive tackles to use power moves on him. However, there is concern with Fusco's lateral motion, as he struggles to play against smaller tackles that use speed moves.

Along with his height, Fusco's long arms help him tremendously when run-blocking. Fusco has also been praised for being absolutely nasty when blocking downfield.

Fusco's awareness is another one of his strengths, he is able to recognize pre-snap movement on the defense and identifies delayed blitzers—something that will be very helpful against the Green Bay Packers twice a year.

Above all of those attributes, Fusco's intangibles are what really make him special. The 23-year-old was a two-time captain at Slippery Rock and won numerous awards including the Gene Upshaw Award, All-American Honors, as well as team MVP. Fusco was also the first player in Slippery Rock history to ever be elected to the Senior Bowl. He showed great durability, starting all 44 games of his career after being redshirted his freshman season.

I think of all the rookies, Fusco has the best chance of starting in 2011. The Vikings are notoriously weak on their offensive line, particularly at center.

Ever since Matt Birk left the Vikings in 2008, the Vikings have not been able to find an adequate replacement. Current starter John Sullivan spent much of the 2010 season injured, and when he did see game action he was consistently outplayed by opposing defenses.

When the Vikings take to training camp in Mankato on Monday, I think Fusco will challenge both Sullivan and second-stringer Jon Cooper for the starting spot.

I think with the right coaching, Fusco has a lot of upside. He could prove that even some D-II players can find a home in the NFL.

For the next installment of Vikings Rookie Spotlight, we will look at the undrafted free agent signings that the Vikings have made over the last two days. This will ultimately push back the finale for this series featuring rookie QB Christian Ponder.