Minnesota Vikings Roster
Offense
Quarterbacks
Kirk Cousins
Sean Mannion
Kellen Mond
Nate Stanley
The only thing that would change this group from being the group that enters training camp is a newly drafted quarterback. Kirk Cousins is clearly the team’s quarterback for at least another year. There has to be a plan for the future. The Vikings don’t have to draft a quarterback early but I wouldn’t be surprised if they did.
Running Backs
Dalvin Cook
Alexander Mattison
Kene Nwangwu
A.J. Rose Jr.
Running back is a team strength. Dalvin Cook is elite. Alexander Mattison has a track record of being the main back if needed. Injuries wiped out the first half of Kene Nwangwu’s first season. Once healthy, he was a kick return sensation. On offense, he has the speed and athleticism to be a unique weapon. The Vikings new offensive coaches have to find ways to get the ball in his hands.
Fullback
C.J. Ham
There should always be a role and a place on the Vikings roster for C.J. Ham.
Receivers
Adam Thielen
Justin Jefferson
K.J. Osborn
Ihmir Smith-Marsette
Dan Chisena
Olabisi Johnson
Myron Mitchell
Trishton Jackson
At a glance, this might be a top heavy group. Adam Thielen can still make a corner look silly. Great hands. Great route runner. Great in the red zone. Justin Jefferson’s first two years in the league have been unreal. In terms of yards gained, no receiver has ever had a better start. As great as he’s been it still feels like he’s just getting started. K.J. Osborn emerged last year as reliable, and sometimes explosive, third receiving option. Ihmir Smith-Marsette got some opportunities at the end of his rookie season and made the most of them. It’ll be interesting to see how he develops. He might be the most explosive receiver on the team. Dan Chisena has made the roster for two seasons for his play on special teams. He’ll have to excel there if he’s to continue making the team. Olabisi Johnson lost his third season to a training camp injury. As a rookie in 2019, he was dependable pass-catcher. He started the 2020 season as a starter until Jefferson sailed past him in Week 3. A team might be sitting pretty good if a receiver the caliber of Johnson is the fifth option.
Tight Ends
Irv Smith Jr.
Johnny Mundt
Ben Ellefson
Zach Davidson
This is an interesting group. 2021 was supposed to be Irv Smith Jr’s breakout season. That didn’t happen due to an injury before the season started. If healthy, he should join Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson as the Vikings top playmakers. Smith has the talent to be one of the most dangerous tight ends in the league. He’s also playing for a second contract. Johnny Mundt was mostly used as a blocker for the Los Angeles Rams. Like Smith, he’s also coming back from a significant injury. Head coach Kevin O’Connell and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips know Mundt well. They were his offensive coordinator and position coach for the Rams. They assured him that he’ll get more opportunities in Minnesota than he ever had in Los Angeles. The Vikings always seemed to run the ball a little better when Ben Ellefson was on the field. He’s an excellent blocker. This is an interesting group. Everyone knows what Irv Smith Jr might be. He just hasn’t done it yet. No one knows what Johnny Mundt might be. He and his coaches have an idea but he’s never had the opportunity to do anything. Ben Ellefson may never be anything other than an excellent blocker. Zach Davidson might be the most interesting player of the group. He’s very raw. He’s also 6’7” and freakishly athletic. And he’s 6’7”!
Tackles
Christian Darrisaw
Brian O’Neill
Oli Udoh
Blake Brandel
Timon Parris
It’s been a while since the Vikings offensive tackles felt so settled. Christian Darrisaw missed a chunk of his rookie season recovering from a pre-draft injury. When he finally did get on the field, he played well. Based on his abbreviated rookie, he looks like he has what’s needed to develop into a very good, maybe elite, left tackle. Brian O’Neill has earned his place among the better right tackles in the league. Oli Udoh struggled at right guard last season. I like him so much better as the team’s swing tackle. Blake Brandel did well last season as an extra tight end in short-yardage situations. He’s a versatile lineman.
Guards
Ezra Cleveland
Wyatt Davis
Kyle Hinton
Austin Schlottman
Ezra Cleveland has made left guard his. He seems to be a player on the rise. Right guard is one of the Vikings biggest questions. Of the players currently on the roster, Wyatt Davis appears to be the top contender for the job. His rookie season was a wash so he’s an unknown. He was terrific at Ohio State. As a result, he was drafted in the third round. Since he didn’t play last season many consider him a bust. That’s quite a leap after a lost rookie season. Kyle Hinton is a late-round, small school lineman that’s hung around for a couple season. I’ve been intrigued by him but I’m often intrigued by late-round, small school guys. Austin Schlottman is a free agent addition from the Denver Broncos. Offensive line coach Chris Kuper and assistant offensive line coach Justin Rascati know Schlottman well as they coached him in Denver.
Center
Garrett Bradbury
There’s no Vikings player so routinely bashed as Garrett Bradbury. Not even Kirk Cousins. Most Vikings fans have already replaced Bradbury in the starting lineup with J.C. Tretter, or damn near anyone or anything. I don’t think that a new coaching staff is so quick to dump a former first round pick without getting their own hands and eyes on him. Bradbury can do some of the movement things needed from a center better than anyone in the league. He can also be taken apart by bigger, stronger defensive linemen. And most defensive linemen are bigger and stronger than Bradbury. I’m not ready to give up on him. I don’t think that the new coaching staff is either.
Defense
Defensive Tackles
Dalvin Tomlinson
Harrison Phillips
Armon Watts
James Lynch
Jaylen Twyman
T.Y. McGill
T.J. Smith
The new Vikings coaches are introducing a 3-4 defense. That’ll be fun and new. While today’s NFL offenses force defenses into various sub-packages more often than not, the Vikings will work from a base 3-4. It’ll be strange to think of some of these 4-3 defensive tackles as 3-4 defensive ends. There should be an interesting and fun interior line rotation of Dalvin Tomlinson, Harrison Phillips, Armon Watts, and James Lynch. I’d like to see Jaylen Twyman as part of that rotation as well. Right now, in March, I like the following thee as the Vikings defensive line starters.
DE James Lynch
NT Harrison Phillips
DT Dalvin Tomlinson
Edge
Danielle Hunter
Za’Darius Smith
D.J. Wonnum
Patrick Jones II
Janarius Robinson
Kenny Willekes
As with the interior defensive linemen, it’s going to be a little strange to think of the Vikings edge rushers as outside linebackers. Again, NFL offenses routinely force defenses into sub-packages. These edge rushers may be even-front ends nearly as often as odd-front linebackers. Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith should form one of the most disruptive pass rushing duos in the league. The addition of Smith is the most exciting addition of the offseason. The addition of Smith also allows time for talented, young pass rushers D.J. Wonnum, Patrick Jones II, Janarius Robinson, and Kenny Willekes to watch and learn. At the end of last season, Willekes may have been the Vikings best pass rusher.
Linebackers
Eric Kendricks
Jordan Hicks
Blake Lynch
Troy Dye
Chazz Surratt
Tuf Borland
I like Eric Kendricks and free agent addition Jordan Hicks in the middle, directing the defense. At 30 and 29 respectively, each has a few more years of high-level linebacker play. I think each will make the other better and both will make the Vikings defense better. I like the abilities and potential of the linebackers behind them. Due to injuries, Blake Lynch and Troy Dye have had opportunities the past two years. They had some bumps but they also made the most of those opportunities. Several of last year’s rookies had red shirt seasons. Chazz Surratt is one of the most intriguing of the rookies that we didn’t see. Perhaps it’s because he only played linebacker his final two seasons at North Carolina. Perhaps it’s because he started his college career as a quarterback. Whatever the reason, I’m excited to finally see him play.
Cornerbacks
Cameron Dantzler
Kris Boyd
Chandon Sullivan
Harrison Hand
Parry Nickerson
This is the Vikings most undecided group. A still somewhat unproven Cameron Dantzler currently tops the cornerbacks. Despite some rocky moments over his two years in the league, he’s shown that he has the talent to excel. If he can erase those rocky moments. I like Dantzler as a starter. I like free agent addition Chandon Sullivan as the slot corner. I’m not sure about the rest. If the Vikings had to play a game right now, perhaps it’s Dantzler and Sullivan on the outside in base. Dantzler and Kris Boyd on the outside with Sullivan inside in nickel. I really like Boyd. I like his passion and energy. I like him best as a special teams mainstay and depth corner. The Sullivan addition is great but the Vikings need cornerback help.
Safeties
Harrison Smith
Camryn Bynum
Josh Metellus
Miles Dorn
I’m excited for the Harrison Smith-Camryn Bynum safety pairing. It might be the Cal connection talking but I’m a big Bynum fan. Some see safety as a position of need. I like the probable starters. I like Josh Metellus and Miles Dorn as depth.
Special Teams
Kicker
Greg Jospeh
Punter
Jordan Berry
Long Snapper
Andrew DePaola
The Vikings kicking battery returns. They were mostly good their first year together. I think that they’ll get better the more they are together.
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