Josh Frey’s Minnesota Vikings 53-Man Roster Projection
The Minnesota Vikings are officially one day away from taking the field for their first preseason game.
The Vikings will host the Houston Texans on Saturday afternoon with opening kickoff scheduled for 3 p.m. inside U.S. Bank Stadium. The game is another opportunity for depth players to ensure that they are in strong position to claim one of the spots on the Vikings 53-man roster heading into the season.
Prior to the game, here is where I see the 53-man roster heading into the first preseason matchup.
Offense
Quarterback (3)
- J.J. McCarthy
- Sam Howell
- Brett Rypien
Cut: Max Brosmer
Max Brosmer has been a great story so far in training camp, but considering the roles that QB2 and QB3 play for an NFL team, especially with the emergency QB3 rule, teams need veterans in those spots. Brosmer is an undrafted free agent who has never taken a snap in an NFL game. He likely lands on the practice squad. It’s certainly possible that Sam Howell is cut as well, and Minnesota’s QB2 could be a player who is not currently on the roster.
Running Back (4)
- Aaron Jones
- Jordan Mason
- C.J. Ham
- Zavier Scott
Cut: Ty Chandler, Tre Stewart
The three spots for Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, and C.J. Ham are about as set in stone as they can be assuming nothing disastrous happens over the next couple of weeks. That leaves Zavier Scott and Ty Chandler to battle for the fourth and final spot. Chandler has had ample opportunity over the first couple years of his career to leave a mark on the franchise, and it simply hasn’t happened yet. Given Zavier Scott’s ability to catch passes out of the backfield and make explosive plays, he gets the spot.
Wide Receiver (6)
- Justin Jefferson
- Jalen Nailor
- Tai Felton
- Lucky Jackson
- Rondale Moore
- Silas Bolden
Reserve/Suspended: Jordan Addison
Cut: Dontae Fleming, Myles Price, Robert Lewis, Tim Jones, Jeshaun Jones, Thayer Thomas
Jordan Addison has been suspended for the first three games of the season, so he will not count against the 53-man roster until he returns to the field. That leaves the Vikings with a chance to hold onto an extra wide receiver and push the decision of which one gets cut further down the road. Lucky Jackson has been a stud throughout the early portions of training camp, and Silas Bolden can be an explosive return man to help revive Minnesota’s punt returning.
Tight End (3)
- T.J. Hockenson
- Josh Oliver
- Nick Vannett
Cut: Gavin Bartholomew, Giovanni Ricci, Bryson Nesbit
Nick Vannett is the newest addition to the tight end room after sixth-round Gavin Bartholomew’s injury. The veteran snatches the third spot on the roster.
Offensive Tackle (4)
- Christian Darrisaw
- Brian O’Neill
- Justin Skule
- Walter Rouse
Cut: Logan Brown, Leroy Watson, Matt Nelson
Assuming Christian Darrisaw is able to start in Week 1, Minnesota’s offensive tackle room is pretty straight forward. Matt Nelson suffered a torn bicep earlier this week, meaning the veteran won’t be on the roster, leaving the reserve spots for Justin Skule and 2024 sixth-rounder Walter Rouse.
Interior Offensive Line (5)
- Will Fries
- Ryan Kelly
- Donovan Jackson
- Blake Brandel
- Michael Jurgens
Cut: Joe Huber, Vershon Lee, Zeke Correll, Henry Byrd
Blake Brandel holds down a reserve spot due to his ability to play virtually anywhere across the offensive line, and 2024 fifth-round pick Michael Jurgens gets the backup spot behind Ryan Kelly.
Defense
Outside Linebacker (5)
- Jonathan Greenard
- Andrew Van Ginkel
- Dallas Turner
- Bo Richter
- Tyler Batty
Cut: Gabriel Murphy, Chaz Chimbliss
Tyler Batty has come on strong during the first couple weeks of training camp, and if that continues through the preseason, he has a chance to steal a roster spot from Gabriel Murphy. Murphy and Chimbliss land on the practice squad in that scenario.
Defensive Tackle (6)
- Jonathan Allen
- Harrison Phillips
- Javon Hargrave
- Levi Drake Rodriguez
- Jalen Redmond
- Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
Cut: Taki Taimani, Jonathan Harris, Travis Bell, Elijah Williams
Levi Drake Rodriguez is an absolute bulldog on the defensive line, giving him the top backup spot while Jalen Redmond and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins can help out as pass rushers and on special teams. Taki Taimani’s size makes him an intriguing run stopper as a backup nose tackle, but for now, he lands on the practice squad.
Inside Linebacker (4)
- Blake Cashman
- Ivan Pace
- Kobe King
- Eric Wilson
Cut: Brian Asamoah, Austin Keys, Dorian Mausi
Kobe King has an intriguing blend of pass rushing and coverage skills at the linebacker position, which led the Vikings to select him in the sixth round of this spring’s draft. Eric Wilson returned to Minnesota this spring as well, giving Minnesota another veteran option. Those two leave Brian Asamoah on the outside looking in, meaning the 2022 third-round pick becomes the latest player from that draft class to leave the team.
Cornerback (6)
- Byron Murphy
- Isaiah Rodgers
- Jeff Okudah
- Mekhi Blackmon
- Dwight McGlothern
- Zemaiah Vaughn
Cut: Ambry Thomas, Reddy Steward, Keenan Garber
Both Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah have been impressive for the Vikings to start training camp, which is the best-case scenario in Minnesota given some of the questions at the position coming into camp. Mekhi Blackmon and Dwight McGlothern should also see snaps on defense while camp standout Zemaiah Vaughn can rotate in and contribute to special teams.
Safety (4)
- Harrison Smith
- Josh Metellus
- Theo Jackson
- Jay Ward
Cut: Mishael Powell, Gervarrius Owens, Tavierre Thomas, Kahlef Hailassie
No real questions reside at the safety spot, given the performance of Theo Jackson throughout camp. Jay Ward has proven that he can hold down a special teams role as well, giving him the final spot.
Special Teams
Kicker
- Will Reichard
Punter
- Ryan Wright
Cut: Oscar Chapman
Long Snapper
- Andrew DePaola
Minnesota’s specialists remain intact for now assuming Ryan Wright doesn’t completely implode at punter.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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