The 33 Players Absolutely Guaranteed a Spot on Vikings Roster

Vikings Did the Madden Meme
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports.

The Minnesota Vikings will trim the 2023 roster from 91 players to 53 in one week. The team has until 3:00 pm CST on August 29th to make final decisions.

The 33 Players Absolutely Guaranteed a Spot on Vikings Roster

The next seven days will involve Vikings fans formulating roster projections and opinions, speculating who will make the team, who will hit the practice squad, and which players will hit free agency.

So, with one week to go, let’s identify the roster locks.

Quarterback

The 33 Players
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.

Roster Locks:
Kirk Cousins
Nick Mullens

Likely to Make 53-Man Roster:
n/a

On the Bubble:
Jaren Hall

Likely Cut or Practice Squad:
Jordan Ta’amu

Running Back

Roster Locks:
Alexander Mattison
Ty Chandler

Likely to Make 53-Man Roster:
Kene Nwangwu

On the Bubble:
DeWayne McBride

Likely Cut or Practice Squad:
Abram Smith
Aaron Dykes

Fullback

The Vikings 2022 Offense by the Numbers: After Week 15
Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports.

Roster Locks:
C.J. Ham

Likely to Make 53-Man Roster:
n/a

On the Bubble:
n/a

Likely Cut or Practice Squad:
n/a

Wide Receiver

Roster Locks:
Justin Jefferson
K.J. Osborn
Jordan Addison
Jalen Nailor

Likely to Make 53-Man Roster:
Jalen Reagor

On the Bubble:
Brandon Powell
N’Keal Harry
Trishton Jackson

Likely Cut or Practice Squad:
Blake Proehl
Lucky Jackson
Thayer Thomas
Garett Maag
Jacob Copeland

Tight End

Vikings Depth Chart, Week 13 vs. Jets
Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.

Roster Locks:
T.J. Hockenson
Josh Oliver
Johnny Mundt

Likely to Make 53-Man Roster:
n/a

On the Bubble:
Nick Muse

Likely Cut or Practice Squad:
Ben Sims
Colin Thompson

Offensive Line

Roster Locks:
Christian Darrisaw
Brian O’Neill
Garrett Bradbury
Ezra Cleveland
Ed Ingram

Likely to Make 53-Man Roster:
Vederian Lowe
Austin Schlottmann
Blake Brandel

On the Bubble:
Oli Udoh
Chris Reed

Likely Cut or Practice Squad:
Jarrid Williams
Christian DiLauro
Chim Okorafor
Alan Ali
Josh Sokol
Jack Snyder

Defensive Line

Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.

Roster Locks:
Danielle Hunter
Marcus Davenport
Harrison Phillips
Dean Lowry

Likely to Make 53-Man Roster:
Patrick Jones II
Luiji Vilain
D.J. Wonnum
Khyiris Tonga
Jonathan Bullard
Esezi Otomewo
Jaquelin Roy

On the Bubble:
Andre Carter II
Ross Blacklock
Sheldon Day

Likely Cut or Practice Squad:
Benton Whitley
Junior Aho
T.J. Smith
Calvin Avery

Off-Ball Linebacker

Roster Locks:
Jordan Hicks
Brian Asamoah
Ivan Pace Jr.

Likely to Make 53-Man Roster:
n/a

On the Bubble:
Troy Dye
Troy Reeder

Likely Cut or Practice Squad:
Abraham Beauplan
Tanner Vallejo
Wilson Huber

Cornerback

Vikings Can Claim
Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy spent four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, a 2nd-Round draft pick. He was welcomed to the Vikings from free agency in March 2023.

Roster Locks:
Byron Murphy
Akayleb Evans
Mekhi Blackmon

Likely to Make 53-Man Roster:
Andrew Booth
Joejuan Williams

On the Bubble:
NaJee Thompson

Likely Cut or Practice Squad:
Tay Gowan
Kalon Barnes
C.J, Coldon
Jaylin Williams

Safety

Roster Locks:
Harrison Smith
Lewis Cine
Josh Metellus

Likely to Make 53-Man Roster:
Camryn Bynum
Jay Ward

On the Bubble:
n/a

Likely Cut or Practice Squad:
Theo Jackson

Special Teams

Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports.

Roster Locks:
Greg Joseph (K)
Ryan Wright
(P)
Andrew DePaola
(LS)

Likely to Make 53-Man Roster:
n/a

On the Bubble:
n/a

Likely Cut or Practice Squad:
n/a


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.