A Final Guess At The Minnesota Vikings 53-Man Roster

The Minnesota Vikings three-game preseason should be put somewhere behind us immediately. The real games are two weeks from today. Two weeks. It’s strange to have a “bye” week before the start of the regular season. It feels so close but it’s still two weeks. Anyway, there’s work to be done. The Vikings roster has to be reduced to 53 players by Tuesday. Here’s a final guess at the Minnesota Vikings 53-man roster. 

Minnesota Vikings 53-man Roster

Offense (24 Players)

Quarterbacks (2)
  8 Kirk Cousins

11 Kellon Mond

Out:

  3 Jake Browning

14 Nate Stanley

If I hadn’t made up my mind before the Chiefs game, it didn’t take long for me to settle on Kellen Mond as the lone backup. I was hoping for more consistency through the preseason games from Jake Browning. I hoped that he’d grab the QB2 role and allow Mond to develop in the relative peace of QB3. Hopefully, Kirk Cousins continues his remarkable durability. If anything were to happen to Cousins I now prefer Mond as the backup and perhaps Browning as a security blanket on the practice squad. 

Running Backs (4)

33 Dalvin Cook
25 Alexander Mattison

31 Ameer Abdullah

26 Kene Nwangwu

Out:

36 A.J. Rose

20 Ito Smith

Among the supposed offensive playmakers, A.J. Rose was probably the standout of the preseason. The Vikings offense scored two touchdowns in three preseason games. Rose scored both. It isn’t right for him to be on the outside of the 53-man roster. Hopefully, the Vikings can keep him on the practice squad. There were many disappointing aspects to the preseason. Perhaps the most disappointing was not seeing fourth-round rookie Kene Nwangwu. He was injured early in the first preseason game and put on the shelf. Hopefully he’s cleared to play soon. I can’t wait to see his speed in the offense. 

Fullbacks (1)

30 C.J. Ham

Out:

34 Jake Bargas

Receivers (5)
19 Adam Thielen
18 Justin Jefferson
17 K.J. Osborn

89 Dede Westbrook

15 Ihmir Smith-Marsette

Out:

12 Chad Beebe

85 Dan Chisena

13 Blake Proehl

16 Whop Philyor

87 Myron Mitchell

Injured/Reserve:

81 Olabisi Johnson

From what I’ve seen, read, and heard the top five receivers are clear. The question is whether the Vikings keep six. If there’s six, I think that Dan Chisena makes it over Chad Beebe. 

Tight Ends (3)
84 Irv Smith Jr.
83 Tyler Conklin

40 Zach Robinson

Out:

86 Brandon Dillon

82 Shane Zylstra

If this is the tight end group, it starts and stops with Irv Smith Jr. and Tyler Conklin. Zach Robinson might be too raw to make the roster but he might be too talented to put on the practice squad. Conklin needs to get and stay healthy for three tight ends to work. 

Offensive Tackles (4)
75 Brian O'Neill

71 Christian Darrisaw
69 Rashod Hill

64 Blake Brandel

The top three are easy. I think that Blake Brandel has worked his way onto the roster. I also like him as security until Christian Darrisaw is 100% healthy.

Offensive Guards (3)

72 Ezra Cleveland

74 Oli Udoh

51 Wyatt Davis

Out:

78 Dakota Dozier

68 Kyle Hinton

73 Dru Samia

Mason Cole can help with guard depth. 

Centers (2)

56 Garrett Bradbury

52 Mason Cole

Out

63 Cohl Cabral

Defense (26 Players)

Defensive Ends (5)
99 Danielle Hunter

98 D.J. Wonnum

58 Everson Griffen

91 Stephen Weatherly

93 Patrick Jones II

Out:

90 Jalyn Holmes

50 Hercules Mata’afa

79 Kenny Willekes

It sure is nice to have Everson Griffen back. I’d like to see the Vikings to find a way to keep Hercules Mata’afa or Kenny Willekes. Maybe at the expense of one of the defensive tackles. 

Defensive Tackles (5)

94 Dalvin Tomlinson

97 Michael Pierce

  9 Sheldon Richardson
96 Armon Watts
92 James Lynch

Out:

62 Zeandae Johnson

The biggest question with the defensive tackles is whether the Vikings keep four or five. The cuts on the defensive line will be very difficult. 

Linebackers (6)
55 Anthony Barr

54 Eric Kendricks
59 Nick Vigil

45 Troy Dye

48 Blake Lynch

41 Chazz Surratt

Out:

57 Ryan Connelly

47 Tuf Borland

Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks, and Chazz Suarratt might the only roster locks at linebacker. 

Cornerbacks (6)

  7 Patrick Peterson

21 Bashaud Breeland

24 Mackensie Alexander

27 Cameron Dantzler

38 Harrison Hand

29 Kris Boyd

Out:

  5 Tye Smith

39 Parry Nickerson

37 Dylan Mabin

I was feeling really good about the Vikings corners until I watched Tyreek Hill zip past Bashaud Breeland. They’ll be fine. I like this group. Camron Dantzler has to regain the confidence that he had at the end of his rookie season. 

Safeties (4)

22 Harrison Smith
23 Xavier Woods

43 Camryn Bynum

44 Josh Metellus

Out:

46 Myles Dorn

35 Luther Kirk

The backup safeties were a weak spot throughout the three preseason games. Let’s just hope that Harrison Smith and Xavier Woods aren’t out at all, let alone at the same time. I have high career hopes for Camryn Bynum. He’ll get there. 

Special Teams (3 Players)

Kicker

 1 Greg Joseph

Punter

 2 Britton Colquitt

 

Long Snapper

42 Andrew DePaola

It’s probably been since the Ryan Longwell-Chris Kluwe-Cullen Loeffeler days that anything’s been set with the Vikings specialists. It’d sure be nice to get back to that sort of security. The bar is now so low for Vikings kickers.