53-Man Roster Projection for Vikings | Early August 2023

Dustin Baker |

Aug 8, 2023

The Minnesota Vikings kick off the preseason Thursday night, venturing to Seattle for an exhibition showdown with the Seahawks.

53-Man Roster Projection for Vikings | Early August 2023

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

Minnesota has less than five 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 —

Early August — Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports. –

Quarterback (3)

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

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: n/a

Running Back (4)

RB1: Alexander Mattison
RB2: Ty Chandler
RB3: Kene Nwangwu
RB4: DeWayne McBride

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Abram Smith

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: Brandon Powell

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Jalen Reagor, 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: Colin Thompson

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Johnny Mundt, Nick Muse, Ben Sims

Left Tackle (2)

LT1: Christian Darrisaw
LT2: Vederian Lowe

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Jarrid Williams, Jacky Chen

Right Tackle (2)

RT1: Brian O’Neill
RT2: Oli Udoh

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Christian DiLauro

Center (2)

C1: Garrett Bradbury
C2: Austin Schlottmann

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Alan Ali

Left Guard (2)

LG1: Ezra Cleveland
LG2: Chris Reed

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

Right Guard (2)

RG1: Ed Ingram
RG2: Blake Brandel

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: n/a

— Defensive Roster Projection —

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, Curtis Weaver

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: William Kwenkeu, Abraham Beauplan

Weakside Linebacker (2)

WLB1: Jordan Hicks
WLB2: Ivan Pace, Jr.

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

Cornerback (5)

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

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

Safety (4)

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

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Camryn Bynum, Theo Jackson

— Special Teams Roster Projection —

Kicker (1)

K1: Jack Podelsny

Projected to Miss 53-man Roster: Greg Joseph

Punter (1)

P1: Ryan Wright

Long Snapper (1)

LS: Andrew DePaola

Kick Returner

KR1: Kene Nwangwu
KR2: Ty Chandler

Punt Returner

PR1: Brandon Powell
PR2: Jalen Nailor

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell at 2023 mandatory minicamp in Eagan. The Vikings won 13 games in O’Connell’s first season as head coach. He previously won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams as offensive coordinator in 2021. –

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

Also Read:
Vikings Ended Up with 3 Players in ‘NFL Top 100’

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.