7 Winners from the Vikings Final Preseason Game
The Minnesota Vikings fell in their 10th consecutive preseason game on Saturday with an 18-17 loss versus the Arizona Cardinals.
The loss brings an end to the preseason schedule, and with the conclusion of this exhibition stretch, rosters must be cut down from 90 players to 53 by Tuesday at 3 PM Central. Here is a look at 7 winners for the Vikings as cutdown date approaches.
WR Brandon Powell
Our first winner is a player that didn’t even suit up for the game today. Because of his absence, Brandon Powell appears to have secured a spot on the final 53-man roster. He likely heads into the 2023 season as the Vikings WR5 and starting punt returner.
S Jay Ward
The Minnesota Vikings selected safety Jay Ward in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft because of his ability to do multiple things on a defense. He showcased all of those talents on Saturday by recording 8 tackles, including a strip sack of Clayton Tune, and a pass defense. The defensive back was all over the place throughout the game and could be an immediate contributor for Minnesota.
QB Jaren Hall
Things unraveled a bit down the stretch of this one for rookie QB Jaren Hall, but when the second-team offense was out there with him, he looked calm and collected in the pocket. He rifled passes to his receivers throughout the game and was a willing runner when things broke down. This was easily the best showing for Hall of the preseason.
TE Ben Sims
Overall, it was another strong day for each of the tight ends (Nick Muse, Ben Sims, Colin Thompson), and the Vikings have a tough choice to make if they want to keep four players around at the position this season. Sims finished the day with a single reception for 15 yards. However, had Jaren Hall not been past the line of scrimmage when he threw him another pass at the end of the game, Sims would have gotten another 42-yard reception to his name.
RB DeWayne McBride
Rookie RB Dewayne McBride had his best game of the preseason, totaling 8 carries for 37 yards and another touchdown. He seemed to read the running lanes much better in this game than he had in the previous two. Minnesota has been bringing in other RB talent throughout training camp, so we’ll see if the seventh-round pick has done enough to make the roster.
Jaquelin Roy
Defensive lineman Jaquelin Roy has been getting some snaps with the Vikings starters during practice, and he made his first preseason appearance of the season on Saturday. Roy was a disruptor throughout the first half and put together two tackles. With Minneosta’s defensive line battle continuing, the fifth-round pick heads into the regular season on a positive note.
Ross Blacklock
Sitting firmly on the roster bubble, Ross Blacklock needed to make an impact on Saturday in order to secure a roster spot. He did just that against Arizona, recording a sack in the final preseason game. He makes the final decision as to who will make the roster amongst defensive linemen a bit harder.
3 Losers from Vikings 3rd Preseason Game
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.
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