Dustin Baker’s 53-Man Roster Projection for Vikings | 2nd-to-Last Edition

Dustin Baker |

Aug 21, 2023

Mattison Crossing — Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins speaks before a joint practice with the Tennessee Titans in Eagan, Minn., Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. © Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK.

The Minnesota Vikings kick off the Preseason Game No. 3 this Saturday, with the Arizona Cardinals coming to U.S. Bank Stadium.

Dustin Baker’s 53-Man Roster Projection for Vikings | 2nd-to-Last Edition

Starters are expected to rest, while non-starters vie for backup positions and roster spots. The Vikings released a depth chart a couple of weeks ago, and it contained a few surprises.

The club will reveal a semi-final 53-man roster on August 29th.

Minnesota has less than three weeks until the regular season, so the roster will change between now and September 10th. Here’s a look at how the 53-man roster might shakedown.

Note: Many ‘projected to miss 53-man roster’ players will hit the practice squad.

— Offensive Roster Projection — (24 players)

2nd-to-Last — Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports.

Quarterback (3)

QB1: Kirk Cousins
QB2: Nick Mullens
QB3: Jaren Hall

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Jordan Ta’amu

Running Back (3)

RB1: Alexander Mattison
RB2: Ty Chandler
RB3: Kene Nwangwu

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: DeWayne McBride, Abram Smith, Aaron Dykes

Fullback (1)

FB1: C.J. Ham

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: n/a

Wide Receiver (5)

WR1: Justin Jefferson
WR2: K.J. Osborn
WR3: Jalen Nailor
WR4: Jordan Addison
WR5: Jalen Reagor

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Brandon Powell, Blake Proehl, Trishton Jackson, Lucky Jackson, Thayer Thomas, N’Keal Harry, Garett Maag, Jacob Copeland

Tight End (3)

TE1: T.J. Hockenson
TE2: Josh Oliver
TE3: Johnny Mundt

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Nick Muse, Ben Sims, Colin Thompson

Left Tackle (2)

LT1: Christian Darrisaw
LT2: Vederian Lowe

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Jarrid Williams

Right Tackle (2)

RT1: Brian O’Neill
RT2: Oli Udoh

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Christian DiLauro, Chim Okorafor

Center (2)

C1: Garrett Bradbury
C2: Austin Schlottmann

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Alan Ali

Left Guard (1)

LG1: Ezra Cleveland

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Chris Reed, Josh Sokol, Jack Snyder

Right Guard (2)

RG1: Ed Ingram
RG2: Blake Brandel

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: n/a

— Defensive Roster Projection — (26 players)

Outside Linebacker (5)

OLB1: Danielle Hunter
OLB2: Marcus Davenport
OLB3: Patrick Jones
OLB4: Luiji Vilain
OLB5: Andre Carter II

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: D.J. Wonnum, Benton Whitley

Defensive End (5)

DE1: Harrison Phillips
DE2: Dean Lowry
DE3: Jonathan Bullard
DE4: Esezi Otomewo
DE5: Jaquelin Roy

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Ross Blacklock, Junior Aho, Sheldon Day

Nose Tackle (1)

NT1: Khyiris Tonga

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: T.J. Smith, Calvin Avery

Middle Linebacker (2)

MLB1: Brian Asamoah
MLB2: Troy Dye

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Abraham Beauplan, Tanner Vallejo

Weakside Linebacker (2)

WLB1: Jordan Hicks
WLB2: Ivan Pace, Jr.

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Troy Reeder, Wilson Huber

Cornerback (6)

CB1: Byron Murphy
CB2: Akayleb Evans
CB3: Andrew Booth
CB4: Joejuan Williams
CB5: Mekhi Blackmon
CB6: NaJee Thompson

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Tay Gowan, Kalon Barnes, C.J. Coldon, Jaylin Williams

Safety (5)

S1: Harrison Smith
S2: Camryn Bynum
S3: Lewis Cine
S4: Josh Metellus
S5: Jay Ward

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Theo Jackson

— Special Teams Roster Projection — (3 players)

Minnesota Vikings place kicker Greg Joseph (1) kicks a field goal at the beginning of the second quarter against the Titans at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023. © Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK.

Kicker (1)

K1: Greg Joseph

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: n/a

Punter (1)

P1: Ryan Wright

Long Snapper (1)

LS: Andrew DePaola

Kick Returner

KR1: Kene Nwangwu
KR2: Ty Chandler

Punt Returner

PR1: Jalen Reagor
PR2: Brandon Powell

Minnesota is projected with a repeat win forecast this season as of late August — 8.5 wins. It’s the same Vegas forecast from last summer. Most experts believe the franchise unabashedly overachieved in 2022 with a 13-4 record and will take a step back in Kevin O’Connell’s second year. The franchise has a +4000 Super Bowl moneyline — sharing odds with the Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints.

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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.