A Pre-Preseason Vikings 53-Man Roster Prediction
The Minnesota Vikings have their first preseason game of the 2024 season this weekend,
That matchup takes place on Saturday afternoon at 3 PM against the Las Vegas Raiders as the Vikings continue to move closer to roster cutdown time. Prior to that matchup, here is a pre-preseason Vikings 53-man roster prediction.
Offense
Quarterback (3)
- Sam Darnold
- J.J. McCarthy
- Nick Mullens
Cut: Jaren Hall
This is a change from my opinions over the spring. The Vikings are in a very tricky spot heading into 2024 at the quarterback position. Of course, the team would likely want to keep all four quarterbacks around this year, but they cannot roster all of them. If it’s between Jaren Hall and Nick Mullens, it is much more likely that the Vikings can find a way to sneak Hall onto the practice squad than Mullens.
Running Back (4)
- Aaron Jones
- Ty Chandler
- C.J. Ham
- Kene Nwangwu
Cut: Myles Gaskin, DeWayne McBride
There is a chance that Kene Nwangwu is on the roster bubble this year, but it might depend on exactly how efficient is at returning kicks with the new kick return rule in place. If he remains electric in that department, his roster spot is safe.
Wide Receiver (6)
- Justin Jefferson
- Jordan Addison
- Jalen Nailor
- Brandon Powell
- Trishton Jackson
- Trent Sherfield
Cut: Jeshaun Jones, Ty James, Lucky Jackson, Thayer Thomas, Malik Knowles
Jeshaun Jones has been a very cool story to this point in camp, but the Vikings likely will be able to stash him on the practice squad heading into the fall. If that is the case, Trent Sherfield lands the final spot on the roster at the position.
Tight End (3)
- T.J. Hockenson (PUP)
- Johnny Mundt
- Josh Oliver
- Nick Muse
Cut: Robert Tonyan, N’Keal Harry, Trey Knox, Sammis Reyes
T.J. Hockenson likely will miss the start of the season, so the Vikings head into the season without him on the 53-man roster. Otherwise, few surprises here at the tight end spot. Mundt, Muse, and Oliver were the trio behind Hockenson last year, and that group remains the same in 2024. For the Robert Tonyan supporters, a sharp decline since his breakout season in 2020 leaves him with little to offer that the others can’t.
Offensive Tackle (4)
- Christian Darrisaw
- Brian O’Neill
- David Quessenberry
- Walter Rouse
Cut: Jeremy Flax, Doug Nester
It was always going to be a somewhat thin group at the offensive tackle position for the Vikings, but especially considering Blake Brandel began his NFL career as a tackle, it’s a position that Minnesota can afford to skimp on a little bit.
Interior Offensive Line (6)
- Blake Brandel
- Garrett Bradbury
- Ed Ingram
- Dalton Risner
- Dan Feeney
- Michael Jurgens
Cut: Henry Byrd, Tyrese Robinson, Spencer Rolland
Last season, the Vikings began the year with only eight offensive linemen on the roster. However, that quickly proved to not be enough with a number of injuries along the o-line throughout the 2023 season. Luckily, Minnesota has plenty of talent to keep around to ensure plenty of depth.
Defense
Defensive Line (6)
- Harrison Phillips
- Jonathan Bullard
- Jerry Tillery
- James Lynch
- Taki Taimani
- Jaquelin Roy
Cut: Levi Drake Rodriguez, Jonah Williams, Jalen Redmond, Tyler Manoa
Defensive line remains one of the bigger question marks on Minnesota’s roster with a hodgepodge of mid-tier veterans battling with low-end draft picks and UDFAs for roster spots. Ultimately, the Vikings keep Taki Taimani around for his size and ability to play as a true nose tackle while Levi Drake Rodriguez misses out on a spot. He should get onto the practice squad, though.
Outside Linebacker (5)
- Jonathan Greenard
- Andrew Van Ginkel
- Dallas Turner
- Jihad Ward
- Gabriel Murphy
Cut: Patrick Jones, Owen Parter, Andre Carter, Bo Richter
The UDFA climber makes the final roster. As of now, the top four spots amongst Minnesota’s outside linebacker group seem pretty set in stone, unless Jihad Ward ends up flopping over these next few weeks. That likely leaves one or two spots at the most, and the Vikings decide to bet on Gabriel Murphy’s upside.
Off-Ball Linebacker (3)
- Ivan Pace
- Blake Cashman
- Brian Asamoah
Cut: Kamu Grugier-Hill, Dallas Gant, Jabril Cox
Last year, I also projected that the Vikings would only keep three off-ball linebackers on the roster because if you look at Brian Flores’ time in Miami, he never gave the position a ton of depth. This year, I think it has a chance at happening because Josh Metellus has solidified himself as capable of being a LB-esque player from the safety position.
Cornerback (5)
- Byron Murphy
- Shaq Griffin
- Akayleb Evans
- Fabian Moreau
- NaJee Thompson
Cut: Andrew Booth, Duke Shelley, Jacobi Francis, Jaylin Williams, Dwight McGlothern
NaJee Thompson likely will be back on the field by the time the final cuts happen, but if he’s not and were to start the season on PUP, I see A.J. Green getting a shot to make his mark at the cornerback position. That means 2022 second-round pick Andrew Booth will be heading elsewhere.
Safety (5)
- Camryn Bynum
- Harrison Smith
- Josh Metellus
- Theo Jackson
- Jay Ward
Cut: Lewis Cine, Bobby McCain
It’s a pretty cut and dry situation at the safety spot, at least in the top four. For the fifth and final spot, I value Jay Ward’s versatility more than trying to revive Lewis Cine’s career.
Special Teams
Kicker (1)
- Will Reichard
Cut: N/A
Punter (1)
- Ryan Wright
Cut: Seth Vernon
Long Snapper (1)
- Andrew DePaola
Cut: N/A
No real surprises on the special teams. Ryan Wright holds down the punter job over Seth Vernon while the other two specialist spots are already set in stone.
The Coach’s Advice? “Play With Your Hair on Fire”
You must be logged in to post a comment.