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.
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.
QB1: Kirk Cousins
QB2: Nick Mullens
QB3: Jaren Hall
Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Jordan Ta’amu
RB1: Alexander Mattison
RB2: Ty Chandler
RB3: Kene Nwangwu
Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: DeWayne McBride, Abram Smith, Aaron Dykes
FB1: C.J. Ham
Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: n/a
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
TE1: T.J. Hockenson
TE2: Josh Oliver
TE3: Johnny Mundt
Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Nick Muse, Ben Sims, Colin Thompson
LT1: Christian Darrisaw
LT2: Vederian Lowe
Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Jarrid Williams
RT1: Brian O’Neill
RT2: Oli Udoh
Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Christian DiLauro, Chim Okorafor
C1: Garrett Bradbury
C2: Austin Schlottmann
Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Alan Ali
LG1: Ezra Cleveland
Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Chris Reed, Josh Sokol, Jack Snyder
RG1: Ed Ingram
RG2: Blake Brandel
Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: n/a
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
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
NT1: Khyiris Tonga
Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: T.J. Smith, Calvin Avery
MLB1: Brian Asamoah
MLB2: Troy Dye
Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Abraham Beauplan, Tanner Vallejo
WLB1: Jordan Hicks
WLB2: Ivan Pace, Jr.
Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Troy Reeder, Wilson Huber
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
S1: Harrison Smith
S2: Camryn Bynum
S3: Lewis Cine
S4: Josh Metellus
S5: Jay Ward
Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Theo Jackson
K1: Greg Joseph
Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: n/a
P1: Ryan Wright
LS: Andrew DePaola
KR1: Kene Nwangwu
KR2: Ty Chandler
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.
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.