4 Vikings Who Could Define the First Preseason Game
Saturday’s the day. The Minnesota Vikings will get the preseason off the ground, taking on the Houston Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Four Vikings players have a chance to make a major impact in the team’s first preseason matchup against the Houston Texans. Here’s who could shape the game and why.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell is expected to play some starters, including quarterback J.J. McCarthy, so the excitement is certifiable among fans.
Along the way, these are four players to watch during the contest. Their performances will tell a story about roster trajectory and position battles. The men are listed in ascending order of importance (No. 1 = most important guy to watch)
Vikings Players to Watch in Preseason Game No. 1
Minnesota hosts Houston on Saturday.
4. Zavier Scott | RB
Scott turned heads at training camp, and because his competition, Ty Chandler, the team’s RB3, may be a cut candidate in 2.5 weeks, Scott has a palpable path to the September roster.
Chandler, too, will play during the Vikings-Texans exhibition, but most know about his skill set. Scott, on the other hand, is a wildcard. He’s never taken a regular season snap, and those who didn’t make it to training camp have never really seen him do anything.
The 6’1, 220-pound Texas native could become the RB3 in no time. Therefore, check him out on Saturday.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein profiled Scott before the 2023 NFL Draft: “Scott is a fun watch on tape thanks to his versatility and the passion he shows on the field. He’s a big athlete who plays fast and with good determination, but he will be much more intriguing for teams with creative play-callers who are looking for multi-dimensional prospects.”
“While he’s not a pure running back, he does possess running back talent and the same can be said about him as a receiver, although he needs much more polish. His toughness with the ball in his hands and potential roster flexibility make him worthy of Day 3 consideration.”
3. Silas Bolden | WR
Bolden went undrafted four months ago, but compiled an electric career at Oregon State and Texas. He’s tiny — 5’8″ and 160 pounds. In theory, Minnesota could use him as a returner and perhaps even on offense for some gadgety operations.
The speedster (4.36) has a long way to go in making the active roster, especially with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor, Lucky Jackson, Rondale Moore, and others ahead of him on the depth chart, but he’s a man to monitor if you’re looking for a roster deep sleeper.
SI.com‘s Will Ragatz noted on Bolden and Minnesota’s kick and punt returning last month: “The Vikings haven’t had much of a kick return threat since the first couple years of Kene Nwangwu’s career. They only had 14 kickoff returns all of last season during the first year of the dynamic kickoff, but that number should jump in 2025 with touchbacks now set to be placed at the 35 yard-line.”
“The Vikings haven’t scored a punt return touchdown since Marcus Sherels did it for the fifth time in his career in 2016. Bolden’s path to a 53-man roster spot is all about the return game, where he figures to compete with players like Isaiah Rodgers, Moore, Jalen Nailor, and Ty Chandler.”
2. Dwight McGlothern | CB
In all likelihood, McGlothern will make the 53-man roster in CB5 territory. Many Vikings analysts and writers believe his upside is much higher than CB5, with some even suggesting he has the juice for CB2, for example.
McGlothern is 6’2″ and 185 pounds. He has the size for an outside cornerback. The man also saw a little bit of action in the regular season last year as a rookie.
He should feast against the Texans’ backup wide receivers at U.S. Bank Stadium.
VikingsWire‘s Cole Smith predicted a pick-six for McGlothern against the Texans this week: “McGlothern had a strong preseason as an undrafted free agent in 2024, making the roster before being limited to special teams duties. But he’s had a strong training camp, intercepting passes in three consecutive practices last week.”
“He almost took an interception to the house last year against the Cleveland Browns during the preseason. This year, he finishes the job, making a case to not only make the team, but push for a starting role.”
1. J.J. McCarthy | QB
Duh, right?
Most Vikings fans will tune into Preseason Game No. 1 for this man only. The preseason can be dull for casual fans, who often wonder, “Who the hell are these players, and where are the real ones?”
McCarthy isn’t like that, and in fact, he’s the team’s Golden Boy — the one bright hope for the future.
The young Wolverine performed marvelously in the preseason a year ago before busting his meniscus, and fans have waited a whole year to see him in action once again.
It’s totally acceptable to watch the Texans showdown to size up roster battles and undrafted free agents, for instance, but most of the world will be watching just to get a glimpse of McCarthy.
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