Minnesota Vikings Offseason Workouts

The meat of the Minnesota Vikings offseason workouts kicks off in the coming weeks. The rookies make their first appearances on a Vikings practice field today. 

Here’s the Minnesota offseason workout schedule. 

May 13-14

Mini-camp for rookies and tryout players.

The rookies get to put on their beautiful Minnesota Vikings helmets and jerseys for the first time. They will practice as professional football players for the first time. 

May 16, 17, and 19

First Organized Team Activity sessions. This is the first full-team, 11-on-11 field work of the offseason. Helmets only with no live contact. Rookies meet veterans. 

May 23, 24, and 26

Second Organized Team Activity session. Same as the first. Only better.

May 31-June 3

Third Organized Team Activity session. Same as the first and second. Only better.

June 7-9

Three-day minicamp. Mandatory for all players. The day’s maximum work period increases from six to 10 hours. Two daily practices not exceeding 3.5 hours are allowed. 

Then there’s a month-plus off before training camp. 

A Stab At The Minnesota Vikings Starting Lineup

The draft is done. Free agency is probably done. The roster of the Minnesota Vikings is at the offseason limit of 90 players. With the offseason roster fairly set, here’s an early May stab at the team’s starting lineup for the coming season. 

Offense

QB	Kirk Cousins
RB	Dalvin Cook
FB	C.J. Ham
WR	Justin Jefferson
WR	Adam Thielen
TE	Irv Smith Jr.
LT	Christian Darrisaw
LG	Ezra Cleveland
C	Garrett Bradbury
RG	Ed Ingram
RT	Brian O’Neill

Predicting the offense is easy. It’s pretty much set. Some want Garrett Bradbury catapulted far from the state of Minnesota but he’s the Vikings center. Perhaps new coaches, a new offensive system, and new techniques will bring out a Garrett Bradbury that we’ve yet to see. At least, that’s my hope. He has no hands-on history with the new coaches. That’s good and bad for him. He gets a fresh start. That can be good for him. This group didn’t spend a first-round pick on him. That can be bad for him. Bradbury is the favorite for the Vikings center job. It’s on him to keep the job. The only open offensive line competition is at right guard. It should be a fun, intriguing, critical competition and a lot of players willl be involved. 

Ed Ingram

Wyatt Davis

Cris Reed

Jesse Davis

Austin Schlottman

Kyle Hinton

One, or more, might also give Bradbury some competition at center. I have Ed Ingram taking the right guard job. Perhaps it’s a recency thing. Perhaps it’s because the Vikings used a second-round pick in April’s draft to get him on the team.

Defense

DE	Dalvin Tomlinson
NT	Harrison Phillips
DE	James Lynch
OLB	Danielle Hunter
ILB	Eric Kendricks
ILB	Jordan Hicks
OLB	Za’Darius Smith
CB	Patrick Peterson
CB	Andrew Booth Jr.
NB	Chandon Sullivan
S	Harrison Smith
S	Lewis Cine

It’s probably going to take all of the offseason workouts and most of training camp to get a better handle on the new defense of the Vikings. The base will be a 3-4. That’s easy on paper. It’s not so easy in action. Despite the 3-4 starting point, the new coaches have stressed that the defense will be varied. The key is being unpredictable for offenses. It may take several regular season games to know what all of that means. What we do know is that Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith will often be coming off the edges. I can not wait to see that. The defensive line and the roles of each of the players is, at the moment, a mystery. It’s easy to guess that Harrison Phillips and Dalvin Tomlinson will be starters. Who plays the nose in the 3-4? Upon his signing this offseason, Phillips referred to himself as the nose tackle. Tomlinson is closer to having the traditional size for the position. I think that each will play a decent number of snaps over the center. Armon Watts probably will as well. A player that I think will shine in the Vikings new front is James Lynch. I believe that his third season will be one in which his experience, an opportunity, and the right scheme will mesh into a very good thing. I like Lynch as a breakout player. 

At the start of the offseason, cornerback was by far the team’s biggest weakness. There were four on the roster and only one had any real NFL starting experience. The re-signing of Patrick Peterson, the signings of Chandon Sullivan and Nate Hairston, and the drafting of Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans have brought the group much closer to respectable NFL standards. At the start of on-field offseason workouts, I like the team’s cornerbacks.

Patrick Peterson

Cameron Dantzler

Andrew Booth Jr.

Chandon Sullivan

Akayleb Evans

Kris Boyd

Harrison Hand

Nate Hairston

Tye Smith 

Parry Nickerson

The competion between Dantzler and Booth to start opposite Peterson will be a blast. I have Sullivan on the field in nickel. That likely will happen. Perhaps often. I also like the possibility of a three-safety nickel with Camryn Bynum as the extra defensive back. Before Lewis Cine was selected in the first round, I really liked the potential of a Harrison Smith-Camryn Bynum pairing at the back of the Vikings defense. I liked it so much that I never really thought about the possibility of the Vikings selecting a safety in the early rounds. Kyle Hamilton and some later-round depth players were the only safeties that I even studied. All that changed with the selection of Cine. Having now listened to him, read about him, and watched his play, I can’t wait to see this kid on the field for the Vikings. I can’t wait to see him paired with Smith. I can’t wait to see his Vikings career. He just strikes me as a difference-maker as a player and as a person. 

There’s excitement in the unknown. The Vikings defense is an unknown. Part of the unknown is the 3-4. It’s been 40 years since the Vikings were a base 3-4. Another part of the unknown is what this defense will be when they aren’t in a 3-4. It’s a mystery and it’s damn exciting. 

Special Teams

K	Greg Joseph
P	Ryan Wright
LS	Andrew DePaola
KR	Kene Nwangwu
PR	Jalen Nailor

Kicker Greg Joseph, punter Jordan Berry, and long snapper Andrew DePaola enter offseason workouts and training camp as the incumbents. Joseph and Berry may have been re-signed this offseason by the Vikings new decision-makers but they aren’t incumbents in the truest sense of the word. The new coaches inherited their specialists more than they hand-picked them. Joseph and Berry were solid in the first season with the Vikings but they are far from roster locks. Kicker Gabe Brkic and punter Ryan Wright were signed as undrafted free agents to compete for those kicking jobs. “Incumbents” vs Rookies. Seeing as the Vikings have a whole new set of coaches, the “old guys” probably have no edge other than NFL experience. That can be significant. One little reason that I like Wright as the Vikings punter is that he was a highly-rated quarterback in high school. New special teams coordinator Matt Daniels learned under John Fassell. While he was coaching the Rams special teams, Fassel often took advantage of the passing talents of Johnny Hekker. Maybe Daniels sees the potential of doing the same with Wright. Despite missing four extra points and a particular field goal, I thought that Joseph kicked well last year. Despite kicking well, I can easily see the new coaches going with Brkic. For now, in early May, I have Joseph keeping the job. 

As a rookie, Kene Nwangwu emerged as one of the most dangerous kick returners in the league. Punt returner is up for grabs. For now, I like sixth-round receiver Jalen Nailor for the job. 

I can not wait for September. 

The Numbers Are In!

The Minnesota Vikings have been adding players to the roster since March. Free agents, drafted players, undrafted players. None of the roster numbers of the new Vikings had been released. Until yesterday. We finally have those roster numbers. 

“Old” Vikings, new numbers.

Alexander Mattison: 2

Cameron Dantzler: 3

Dalvin Cook: 4

Jordan Berry: 6

Nate Stanley: 12

Camryn Bynum: 24

A.J. Rose Jr.: 31

Parry Nickerson: 35

Jake Bargas: 36

Wyatt Davis: 52

T.Y. McGill: 76

Patrick Jones II: 91

Jaylen Twyman: 93

New Vikings, new numbers.

Free Agents:

Harrison Phillips: 97

Za’Darius Smith: 55

Jordan Hicks: 58

Chandon Sullivan: 39

Nate Hairston: 27

Jullian Taylor: 78

Johnny Mundt: 86

Chris Reed: 62

Austin Schlottman: 65

Jesse Davis: 73

Draft Picks:

Lewis Cine: 16

Andrew Booth Jr.: 23

Ed Ingram: 67

Brian Asamoah: 33

Akayleb Evans: 21

Esezi Otomewo: 90

Ty Chandler: 32

Vederian Lowe: 63

Jalen Nailor: 83

Nick Muse: 34

There was some # confusion over #1 draft pick Lewis Cine. Despite wearing #16 at Georgia and hoping to wear #16 with the Vikings, he was introduced with a #6 jersey. At the time, Cine cited that #16 was taken. The roster on the team’s website showed no player wearing #16. That’s because none of the #s had been released for the players signed in free agency. Since that introduction, some arrangement was obviously made that allowed Cine to claim his coveted #16. Unfortunately for some fans, Vikings Shop had been selling Cine #6 jerseys for over a week. A few fans have a Cine jersey with a number that he’ll never wear. 

Undrafted Free Agents:

Mike Brown: 37

Bryant Koback: 38

Luiji Vilain: 43

Tyarise Stevenson: 51

Zach McCloud: 59

Josh Sokol: 60

Thomas Hennigan: 89

According to the Vikings website, two players aren’t currently assigned a number.

Gabe Brkic

Ryan Wright

Both are undrafted specialists. Fitting. Specialists get little respect on a football team. Undrafted specialists get even less. The expanded league jersey number rules still restrict kickers and punters to #s 1-19. There are no available numbers in that range. Unless numbers are repeated, both undrafted specialists will be wearing numbers that they can’t wear once the season starts. 

Available #s:

25

28

49

66

69

Gabe Brkic wore #47 while kicking at Oklahoma. Perhaps, he wears #49 for a few months. If he wins the Vikings kicking job, he can grab a legal kicking # made available by a trimmed down roster. Ryan Wright wore #97 while punting at Tulane. A 245lb punter can wear a big-man number. Perhaps, he wears a big-man number like #69 for a few months. If he’s still punting for the Vikings in September, a legal punting # will be available for him.  

Retired #s

10: Fran Tarkenton

53: Mick Tingelhoff

70: Jim Marshall

77: Korey Stringer

80: Cris Carter

88: Alan Page

Minnesota Vikings Roster By Age

The Minnesota Vikings roster is at the offseason limit of 90 players. Here’s the roster broken down by age. 

34

Andrew DePaola

33

Harrison Smith

Kirk Cousins

31

Adam Thielen

Patrick Peterson

Jordan Berry

30

Eric Kendricks

Sean Mannion

Jesse Davis

29

Za’Darius Smith

Jordan Hicks

Chris Reed

Tye Smith

T.Y. McGill

28

Dalvin Tomlinson

C.J. Ham

27

Danielle Hunter

Johnny Mundt

Greg Joseph

Nate Hairston

Jullian Taylor

Parry Nickerson

26

Dalvin Cook

Brian O’Neill

Harrison Phillips

Garrett Bradbury

Ryan Connelly

Austin Schlottman

Timon Parris

25

Armon Watts

Oliseameka Udoh

Chazz Surratt

Chandon Sullivan

Blake Lynch

Olabisi Johnson

Kris Boyd

Troy Dye

Ben Ellefson

Dan Chisena

Blake Brandel

T.J. Smith

Jake Bargas

24

Ezra Cleveland

K.J. Osborn

D.J. Wonnum

Kenny Willekes

Kene Nwangwu

Ty Chandler

Josh Metellus

Tuf Borland

Trishton Jackson

Kyle Hinton

Nate Stanley

A.J. Rose Jr.

Bryant Koback

Zach McCloud

Luiji Vilain

23

Irv Smith Jr.

Cameron Dantzler

Camryn Bynum 

Alexander Mattison

James Lynch

Patrick Jones II

Janarius Robinson

Harrison Hand

Myles Dorn

Wyatt Davis

Zach Davidson

Ed Ingram

Esezi Otomewo

Vederian Lowe

Jalen Nailor

Nick Muse

Myron Mitchell

Blake Proehl

Mike Brown

Thomas Hennigan

Tyarise Stevenson

22

Justin Jefferson

Christian Darrisaw

Lewis Cine

Ihmir Smith-Marsette 

Brian Asamoah

Akayleb Evans

Kellen Mond

Jaylen Twyman

Justin Jefferson turns 23 next month. Over 3,000 receiving yards before his 23rd birthday. That is ridiculous.

21

Andrew Booth Jr. 

?

Gabe Brkic

Josh Sokol

Ryan Wright

Minnesota Vikings 90-man Roster By College

The Minnesota Vikings roster is at the offseason roster limit of 90 players. Here’s a look at the roster broken down by college. 

LSU
Danielle Hunter
Justin Jefferson

Patrick Peterson

Ed Ingram

North Carolina

Chazz Surratt

Ty Chandler

Myles Dorn

Jake Bargas

Michigan State

Kirk Cousins

Kenny Willekes

Jalen Nailor

Temple

Harrison Hand

Nate Hairston

Jullian Taylor

Pittsburgh

Brian O’Neill

Patrick Jones II

Jaylen Twyman

Alabama
Irv Smith Jr. 

Dalvin Tomlinson

Arkansas

Armon Watts

T.J. Smith

Baylor

Blake Lynch

James Lynch

Boise State
Alexander Mattison
Ezra Cleveland

Florida State

Dalvin Cook

Janarius Robinson

Iowa 
Ihmir Smith-Marsette 

Nate Stanley

Kentucky

Za’Darius Smith

A.J. Rose

Miami 

K.J. Osborn

Zach McCloud

Minnesota State-Mankato

Adam Thielen

Chris Reed

Ohio State

Wyatt Davis

Tuf Borland

Oklahoma

Brian Asomoah

Gabe Brkic

Oregon

Troy Dye

Johnny Mundt

Oregon State

Blake Brandel

Sean Mannion

South Carolina

D.J. Wonnum

Nick Muse

Texas

Jordan Hicks

Kris Boyd

Tulane

Parry Nickerson

Ryan Wright

Alabama-Birmingham

Myron Mitchell

Appalachian State

Thomas Hennigan

Augustana (S.D.)
C.J. Ham

California 

Camryn Bynum

Go Bears!

Central Missouri

Zach Davidson

Clemson

Andrew Booth Jr. 

Colorado State

Olabisi Johnson

East Carolina

Blake Proehl

Eastern Kentucky

Jordan Berry

Elon

Olisaemmeka Udoh

Florida Atlantic

Greg Joseph

Georgia

Lewis Cine

Georgia State

Chandon Sullivan

Idaho

Jesse Davis

Illinois

Vederian Lowe

Iowa State

Kene Nwangwu

Miami (OH)

Mike Brown

Michigan

Josh Metellus

Minnesota

Esezi Otomewo

Mississippi State

Cameron Dantzler

Missouri

Akayleb Evans

North Carolina State

Garrett Bradbury

North Dakota State

Ben Ellefson

Notre Dame

Harrison Smith

Penn State

Dan Chisena

Rutgers

Andrew DePaola

Sacred Heart

Josh Sokol

Stanford 

Harrison Phillips

Stony Brook

Timon Parris

Syracuse

Trishton Jackson

Texas Christian

Austin Schlottman 

Texas A&M

Kellon Mond

Toledo

Bryant Koback

Towson State

Tye Hill

Tulsa

Tyarise Stevenson

UCLA

Eric Kendricks

Virginia Tech

Christian Darrisaw

Wake Forest

Luiji Vilain

Washburn

Kyle Hinton

Wisconsin 

Ryan Connelly

Favorite AFC Draft Picks

Here are my favorite draft picks from each of the AFC teams. 

Baltimore Ravens

Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame (1st round)

I liked a bunch of the Ravens draft picks. I’ll go with their first pick. There was absolutely no reason for Kyle Hamilton to be available with the 14th pick. The Ravens got one of the best players in the draft at #14. Ridiculous.

Cincinnati Bengals

Daxton Hill, S, Michigan (1st round)

Another first round safety. I love Daxton Hill’s versatility. 

Pittsburgh Steelers

Kenny Pickett, QB, Pitt (1st round)

George Pickens, WR, Georgia (2nd round)

If I’m picking picks, I have to pick the Pittsburgh Steelers picking Pickett and Pickens. 

Cleveland Browns

Alex Wright, Edge, UAB (3rd round)

By the time the draft arrived, Alex Wright had become one of my favorite edge rushers. 

Buffalo Bills

James Cook, RB, Georgia (2nd round)

I gotta go with Dalvin’s little brother. One of the best offenses in the league got better and more versatile. 

New York Jets

Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati (1st round)

There was a moment during one day early in the pre-draft process that I thought Ahmad Gardner might drop to the Vikings. That moment didn’t last long. 

New England Patriots

Marcus Jones, CB, Houston (3rd round)

Marcus Jones was my Vikings third round pick in nearly every pre-draft simulation that I did. I may have cried a little when the Patriots picked him. 

Miami Dolphins

Cameron Goode, LB, Cal (7th round)

Back in 2018, Cameron Goode was on his way to becoming one of the nation’s best linebacker. Then he got hurt. He returned from that injury in 2019. He was very good but was never quite the same. If he can return to that 2018 form, the Dolphins selected an impact player in the seventh round. 

Tennessee Titans

Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn (2nd round)

If the Vikings didn’t select a corner in the first round, Roger McCreary was one of my favorites in the second round.

Indianapolis Colts

Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati (2nd round)

Alec Pierce should pair nicely with Michael Pittman. 

Jacksonville Jaguars

Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah (1st round)

Devin Lloyd was one of my favorite players in this draft.

Houston Texans

Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU (1st round)

As soon as Derek Stingley Jr. showed up at his Pro Day, I knew that the Vikings had no shot at him at #12.  He and Ahmad Gardner were draft day dreams. 

Kansas City Chiefs

Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington (1st round)

After Derek Stingley Jr. and Ahmad Gardner, Trent McDuffie and Andrew Booth Jr. were my cornerback favorites for the Vikings. 

Los Angeles Chargers

Zion Johnson, OG, Boston College (1st round)

The Chargers probably hoped for a top right tackle in the first round. Zion Johnson was one of the best offensive linemen in this draft. The Chargers are getting close to fielding a terrific offensive line. 

Denver Broncos

Nik Bonitto, Edge, Oklahoma (2nd round)

Nik Bonitto was one of the my favorite Day 2 players. 

Las Vegas Raiders

Neil Farrell Jr., DT, LSU (4th round)

Despite hosting the draft, it was easy to forget that the Raiders were even involved. They didn’t make a pick until the third round. They still managed to draft some very good football players. Neil Farrell Jr. was one of my favorite defensive tackles. Tennessee’s Matthew Butler was another defensive tackle favorite. The Raiders selected him in the fifth round. Pretty greedy. 

Favorite NFC Draft Picks

Here are my favorite draft picks from each of the NFC teams. Even Green Bay. 

Minnesota Vikings

Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson (2nd round)

Cornerback was the Vikings biggest draft need. The hope from the start was one of Ahmad Gardner or Derek Stingley Jr. dropping to or close to #12. That didn’t happen. That wasn’t going to happen. Andrew Booth Jr. might’ve been ranked right with Gardner and Stingley if not for nagging injuries. The Vikings got a first round talent in the second round. 

Green Bay Packers

Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia (1st round)

I had to pick a Packer pick and I pick Devonte Wyatt. He was a player that I liked throughout the pre-draft process.

Chicago Bears

Elijah Hicks, S, Cal (7th round)

Elijah Hicks stays a Bear. He was one of my Cal favorites. He’s a very good football player. He’s a better person. The Bears are lucky to have him. 

Detroit Lions

James Houston, DE, Jackson State (6th round)

I was hoping that James Houston would end up in Minnesota.

Philadelphia Eagles

Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia (1st round)

Gotta pick the big guy. It’s either him or his Georgia teammate Nakobe Dean.

Dallas Cowboys

Damone Clark, LB, LSU (5th round)

LSU often seems to produce terrific linebackers. The Cowboys grabbed the next one even if they might have to wait a while to get him on the field.

New York Giants

Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky (2nd round)

If the Vikings selected a Day 2 receiver, Wan’Dale Robinson was a favorite. 

Washington Commanders

Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State (1st round)

Jahan Dotson probably has the best pair of hands in the draft. That makes him an easy draft favorite. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Logan Hall, DT, Houston (2nd round)

Devonte Wyatt and Logan Hall were my favorite defensive tackles in the draft. So, Hall’s the pick here. 

New Orleans Saints

Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State (1st round)

I’ve always favored receivers with great hands and run great routes. Chris Olave is a smooth route-runner with terrific hands. I’ve never understood the appeal of big, fast receivers that run straight down the field and catch every third pass thrown to them.

Atlanta Falcons

Troy Anderson, LB, Montana State (2nd round)

The quarterback turned linebacker from itty bitty Montana State was a curiosity throughout the pre-draft process. 

Carolina Panthers

Ikem Ekwonu, OT, North Carolina State (1st round)

I enjoyed Ikem Ekwonu’s college highlights throughout the pre-draft process.

Los Angeles Rams

Decobie Durant, CB, South Carolina State (4th round)

The Los Angeles Rams sat out so much of the draft that I nearly forgot that they were still in the league. I always like seeing teams select players from the too often neglected HBCUs. The Rams picked an excellent player in Decobie Durant. 

San Francisco 49ers

Drake Jackson, Edge, USC (2nd round)

Drake Jackson could emerge as a better pass rusher than some of those selected before him. 

Arizona Cardinals

Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State

Trey McBride was my favorite tight end and one of my favorite players in the draft. 

Seattle Seahawks

Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State (1st round)

Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State (3rd round)

I find it hilarious that the Seahawks spent high-end draft capital on the offensive line the year after Russell Wilson left.