Vikings Entertainment Network's Tatum Everett talked virtually with 2024 Seventh Round Draft Pick defensive lineman Levi Drake Rodriguez from Texas A&M - Commerce. The young defender has turned heads at Vikings training camp and could be on deck for playing time as a rookie.
The Minnesota Vikings preseason formally gets underway on Saturday with a home contest versus the Las Vegas Raiders, a team that lost to the Vikings 3-0 in 2023.
Strangely, the Raiders are favored to prevail by about three or four points, though point spreads for the preseason are a little odd.
The coaching staff will use the game to further consider roster battles and positioning, as the depth chart will trim from 91 players to 53 in 19 days. So, overall, these are the most intriguing Vikings players in Saturday’s preseason showdown. The men are listed alphabetically.
Because his employment is on the line — Cine could be waived in less than three weeks — seeing how Cine plays will be fairly fascinating. The third-year safety, formerly a 1st-Round pick, didn’t play much at all in 2023 on defense outside of some garbage time against the Green Bay Packers on New Year’s Eve.
Of course, Minnesota’s safety room is incredibly deep, so much so that Cine might not even be needed. However, the ex-first-round pick has one last chance to prove his worth and make the 53-man roster. He’ll have to stand off the page this preseason.
From the very beginning of his relationship with the Vikings, Drake Rodriguez has provided intrigue because of his small-school background, his look — called aura by cool people — and his nickname “Prospect X,” courtesy of The Athletic.
Now, he has to back up the budding resume with play on the field, and Drake Rodriguez should get some snaps on Saturday.
An undrafted free agent from the end of April, some have identified Jones as a possible summer riser — and they’re not wrong. The first depth chart release placed Jones at WR6 when he easily could’ve slid in around WR10 or WR11.
Jones has a long way to go before making the active roster, but his summer has gone quite well, and now onlookers will observe his preseason theatrics.
A caption isn’t really needed here. Casual and obsessive Vikings fans will tune in Saturday just to get a glimpse of the new guy. Minnesota parted ways with Kirk Cousins in March, ending a six-year relationship. To make that decision worthwhile, McCarthy will have to play well, proving general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah drafted the right guy.
By a mile, McCarthy is the most fascinating player to monitor this weekend.
After Khyree Jackson’s tragic passing, McGlothern is the only youthful hope at cornerback for this brand of Vikings. McGlothern has fired up some sweet plays at training camp, but his next test is the preseason. He’s likely on his way to the practice squad in 2024, but a noteworthy preseason could warrant 53-man roster attention.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.