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 —
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 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.
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.