4 Reactions to First Vikings Depth Chart
On Tuesday, the Minnesota Vikings released their first unofficial depth chart of 2024.
This comes just days before Minnesota’s first preseason game, which will take place on Saturday, August 10th against the Las Vegas Raiders. Here are four quick reactions to that first Vikings depth chart.
Co-QB2s
It shouldn’t be surprising to anybody that Sam Darnold is listed as the QB1 on Minnesota’s first depth chart. However, there is an interesting development right behind Darnold at QB2. This initial depth chart has “J.J. McCarthy OR Nick Mullens” listed as the backup QB while Jaren Hall is on the third team.
One thing is clear: the Vikings aren’t going to rush things with their rookie QB. McCarthy has had his ups and downs throughout the training camp period, and while the positives seem to outweigh any negatives to this point, it would be foolish to put him on the field before he is absolutely ready to shine. This depth chart indicates that Minnesota is continuing to take things slowly with McCarthy.
Jalen Nailor’s Surge
Once again, wide receiver Jalen Nailor is putting together a blistering start to the training camp period, and it has sent him surging up Minnesota’s initial depth chart.
The 2022 sixth-round pick is in a battle for the WR3 spot with Brandon Powell, and the duo is listed as the second-team WRs behind obvious starters Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson.
With T.J. Hockenson likely missing a portion of the regular season as he continues to recover from injury, Minnesota is going to need production from their reserve WRs early on in the year. After struggling through injuries in 2023, perhaps this is the year Nailor can make an impact with the Vikings.
New CBs Leaving Their Mark
The cornerback position has been gashed by tragedy this offseason. Rookie fourth-round pick Khyree Jackson passed away in a car accident early in July. Just a couple weeks later, Mekhi Blackmon was lost for the year due to a torn ACL during the first practice of training camp.
As a result, the door has been opened for others to leave an impact on the depth chart. They’ve done exactly that as Shaq Griffin is listed as a starter alongside Byron Murphy while Fabian Moreau is a second-teamer alongside Akayleb Evans.
Unfortunate Reality for Lewis Cine
The NFL journey for Lewis Cine has been a difficult road so far. The 2022 first-round pick suffered a devastating leg injury during his rookie season, almost instantly derailing any momentum he might have gained throughout the early portion of the season.
Immediately after coming back in 2023, the Vikings seemed to have found replacements in Camryn Bynum and Josh Metellus who flourished in Brian Flores’ defensive scheme while Theo Jackson made an impact when he stepped onto the field in relief.
And now, heading into 2024, Cine finds himself listed as a third-team safety, putting the safety in serious danger of being cut as he is listed alongside second-year player Jay Ward. The Vikings kept five safeties on the roster last year, and in all likelihood, they’ll value the versatility of Ward over trying to revive whatever is left of Cine.
7 Surprises from Vikings’ Depth Chart Release
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