Final Vikings Roster Battles

The Minnesota Vikings visit the Denver Broncos tonight for their final game of the preseason portion of the process. While numbers might force a few to play a handful of snaps, the top half of the Vikings roster isn’t expected to play much. With final roster-trimming taking place this weekend, this game against the Broncos is for the players scrambling for a last chance to be seen in a Vikings uniform. I really don’t see very many roster spots up for grabs so those players are really competing for spots on the 16-member practice squad. That would give the players more time to impress the team’s decision-makers. From Adam Thielen to C.J. Ham to Joshua Metellus, the Vikings have a history of players taking the practice squad-route to becoming an impact player. Several players have this preseason game against the Broncos as a final chance to push the needle in their battle to make the Vikings 53-man roster or practice squad. 

Quarterback

I’m skipping any discussion of the Vikings quarterback situation. This has been beaten beyond dust. 

Running Back

Zavier Scott vs Demond Claiborne

I can see both running backs making the 53-man roster. Four running backs, plus a fullback, is a robust number. If a decision between the two has to be made, I believe that Claiborne has the edge.

Receiver

Jeshaun Jones vs Dontae Fleming vs Dillon Bell

The Vikings top five receivers are pretty much etched in stone.

Justin Jefferson

Jordan Addison

Jauan Jennings

Tai Felton

Myles Price

Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jauan Jennings are the best receiver trio in the league. The leap from rookie year to this year taken by Tai Felton and Myles Price have been one of the best developments of training camp. The Vikings have a lot of receiver options. Perhaps the play of Jeshaun Jones, Dontae Fleming, and Dillon Bell pushed Felton and Price to stay ahead of their competition. Each of the trio without a roster spot have played like they deserve one. Could the Vikings keep six receivers?

Tight End

Gavin Bartholomew vs Ben Yurosek vs the rest

A back injury forced Gavin Bartholomew to miss his rookie season. The 2025 sixth-round pick may have come into training camp this year as a forgotten man. Early on, I thought that Bartholomew had secured TE3. The way the Vikings kept bringing in tight ends throughout training camp made me think that perhaps they hadn’t quite found what they wanted to fill out the depth chart. While I still believe that Bartholomew makes the roster, this feels wide open. 

Offensive Line

The decision with the offensive line probably comes down to keeping nine or ten players. The top nine seems clear.

Christian Darrisaw

Donovan Jackson

Blake Brandel

Will Fires

Brian O’Neill

Ryan Van Demark

Caleb Tiernan

Joe Huber

Michael Jurgens

Walter Rouse vs Tomas Rimac vs Henry Byrd vs Vershon Lee vs Tristan Leigh etc. Drafted as a tackle, Rouse has been playing guard this summer. Perhaps that position versatility gets him another year in Minnesota. 

Defensive Line

The Vikings defensive line is right there with the receivers as my favorite position group on the team. I believe the Vikings keep six defensive linemen.

Jalen Redmond

Levi Drake Rodriguez 

Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins

Caleb Banks

Domonique Orange

Elijah Williams

They are all so young but this might be the deepest, most capable defensive line group the Vikings have had in some time.

Outside Linebackers

All of the training camp talk concerning the Vikings outside linebackers has been about bringing in an outside free agent. Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner are set as the starters. After that, external observers see only UDFA next to the names of the backups. Internally, I don’t think the Vikings see Tyler Batty, Bo Richter, and Chaz Chambliss as a trio of slappies. Maybe a free agent is signed to supplement the group but I don’t think so. I’m starting to think that the coaches see solid potential in the depth provided by Batty, Richter, Chambliss and the versatility of lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins and rookie linebacker Jake Golday.

Linebackers

The top four feel set.

Blake Cashman

Eric Wilson

Ivan Pace Jr.

Jake Golday

If there’s a surprise cut when the Vikings start trimming the roster, it could be at linebacker. Jacob Roberts has had a strong training camp. Could he unseat Ivan Pace Jr. Or could Roberts force the Vikings to keep five linebackers. 

Cornerbacks

In recent years, four cornerbacks has been the number for the Vikings under Brian Flores. If that continues, the four are set.

Byron Murphy Jr.

Isaiah Rodgers

James Pierre

Chuck Demmings

The only possible cornerback question would be if this is the year the Vikings keep five. Second-year Zemaiah Vaughn appears to be the leader in that battle. 

Safety

The training camp highlight of the Vikings safety position has been the play of undrafted rookie Jacob Thomas. Third-round rookie Jakobe Thomas missed most of training camp with an injury. He’s finally back. But Theo Jackson is now on the sideline. When everyone is healthy, it looks like there’s six safeties that feel like roster locks. If Harrison Smith returns for his 15th season, then there will be decisions to make.

Punter

Johnny Hekker vs Brett Thorson

This IS the biggest position battle on the team. The experienced Hekker vs the rookie Thorson. This competition might be decided by how well each hold the football for all-world kicker Will Reichard. 

Bye-Bye Pro Bowl

The NFL is eliminating the Pro Bowl. 

“It’s OK to be the first league to walk away from a competitive all-star game.”

  -NFL executive Vice President Peter O’Reily

I hate to break it to Pete but the Pro Bowl stopped being a competitive all-star game when the players stopped competing. That was more than a decade ago. 

There were various incarnations of an NFL all-star game from 1938-42. World War II put an end to those games. The Pro Bowl became a thing in 1951. Commissioner Bert Bell thought it was a fine way for the players to make some extra money. From 1951-72, the game was held in Los Angeles. From 1973-79, it moved around. In 1980, the Pro Bowl found a home in Hawaii. For about 60 years, the Pro Bowl was a fun way to end an NFL season. That was especially true during the Hawaii years. The tropical location made for a perfect end-of-the-season vacation for the players and their families. It was also a lovely location for a competitive All-Star football game. I repeat the competitive part. The players actually competed. It was an honor for the players to be named to the Pro Bowl and an honor for them to play in it. Even as salaries soared and the Pro Bowl shares became a smaller percentage of a player’s total earnings, the game was competitive. Maybe it was a step, or two, easier than a game that counted but it easily passed as a competitive football game. The games were fun. The players appeared to have fun simply playing football with the very best in the game. The players wanted to play in the game. That was clear because there were no cancellations due to dubious reasons. Players wanted to be at the Pro Bowl. It never hurt that it was in Hawaii. The desire to be there was so great, that players that didn’t make the teams would pay their own way to join the fun surrounding the game. In an interview with then Sports Illustrated writer Mike Silver, former New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers tight end Russ Francis had this to say about the Pro Bowl in 1996:

The Pro Bowl is a celebration of football. It’s the one time when the players can let down their guard, enjoy their status and revel in the joys of their profession. It’s camaraderie and adventure - the way football used to be. 

So, what changed? The Pro Bowl’s downfall started when the NFL’s suits started messing with it. In 2010, the NFL, for some reason, brought the Pro Bowl back to the mainland. They also jammed the game between the conference championship games and the Pro Bowl. Neither decision made any sense at the time and still make no sense. The Pro Bowl was terrific as an end of the season event. Perhaps as a reaction to their 2010 mistake, the suits returned the Pro Bowl in 2011. It was then that the players stopped caring about the game. At least, they stopped trying in the game. It was then that the Pro Bowl became a joke. Even in an all-star game, pride has to matter. I’m not sure how any player that played in a Pro Bowl from 2011-22 can be proud of the game they played. From 2023-25, the Pro Bowl was a flag football game so those don’t count for anything. Starting in 2011, the players simply stopped playing even scrimmage-level football in the Pro Bowl. The fans still paid Pro Bowl-level ticket prices for the Pro Bowl but the players rewarded them with zero effort. From 1951-2010, the winner’s share for the game was $23,000. Even when the NFL surged into billions in annual revenue, the winner’s share for the Pro Bowl stayed the same. In 2011, about the time the players stopped playing, the winner’s share jumped to $50,000. It’s only gone up annually. Somehow, the winner’s of the final flag football Pro Bowl received $96,000. The players were increasingly rewarded for doing less. Nice incentive. Why did the player’s toss their pride and stop trying in the Pro Bowl. One could assume that it was because the players didn’t want to get injured in a game that meant little. For what it’s worth, I can’t remember a serious injury, or even a modest injury, since the 1970s. Tyler Eifert had a serious injury in the 2015 Pro Bowl but that was in one of those games that was more walkthrough than football. The only time this game was about the money involved was in the 1950s. An extra money-stream for the players was the initial reason for the game. For most the game’s existence, it was about pride. It was about the best football players taking pride in the game they played. It was a fun football game. It stopped being a fun football game when the players stopped taking pride in playing football. 

Since I was a long-time fan of the way this game used to be played, this is a sad day. With the way the players collectively made it a shitty game and the league then made it a flag football game, this is a great day. 

Players are still going to be elected to a Pro Bowl team. The players, coaches, and fans will still vote. Without all of the alternates and injury replacements to dilute things, the 88-player Pro Bowl team will actually mean something again. 

Best Minnesota Vikings Receiving Trios

The Minnesota Vikings have a strong receiver tradition. From Paul Flatley to Justin Jefferson, the franchise boasts 65 years of receiving excellence. Sure, there were a scattered year, or four, in which the Vikings were scrambling to find competent hands. For a big fan of receivers, it’s been a blast following the Vikings since the early 1970s. Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison top the present group. That’s a talented and fun duo. The offseason addition of Jauan Jennings gives the Vikings a talented and fun trio. They’ve yet to take the field together in a game that counts but it’s easy to pencil in the trio as the league’s best. Here’s a look at how measure against some of the best trios in the great receiver tradition of the Minnesota Vikings.

Best Minnesota Vikings Receiving Trios

1. Cris Carter, Randy Moss, Jake Reed

Not only is this receiving trio the best in Minnesota Vikings franchise history, they are “arguably” the best in NFL history. 

From 1994-97, Jake Reed had four consecutive 1000-yard seasons. These weren’t Mike Evans-1000-yard seasons. Each of Reed’s four seasons was over 1100 yards. Carter and Reed were arguably the NFL’s top receiving duo. That didn’t stop the Vikings from selecting Randy Moss with the 21st pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. Fortunately, enough teams were stupid enough to pass on perhaps the most physically gifted receiver to ever catch a football. The only thing that could keep Reed from posting a fifth 1000-yard seasons was adding Moss. 

Cris Carter and Randy Moss have busts in Canton. Jake Reed drifted into the long shadow of those legends but he remained an impactful compliment for a couple seasons. For about half of the 1990s, he was among the league’s best deep threats. 

2. Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings

Again, this trio has yet to take the field in a game with meaning but this trio could be elite. Hopefully, it’s for more than a single season. One could argue that Justin Jefferson and a couple slappies would be an elite trio. Jordan Addison would be WR1 on several teams. Jauan Jennings stepped up as the WR1 of the San Francisco 49ers when needed. With that in mind, the Vikings have three WR1s. That’s a great trio. 

3. Sidney Rice, Bernard Berrian, Percy Harvin

When Brett Favre was added to an offense with Adrian Peterson and this trio, there was the potential for offensive explosion on every play. The Vikings 2009 season was fun. It really should’ve been much more fun. It was Sidney Rice’s breakout season. Bernard Berrian was an explosive deep threat. Percy Harvin was dynamic and versatile as a rookie. For a single season, Rice, Berrian, and Harvin were an outstanding trio.

4. Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Jarius Wright

As a fan of receivers, Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen were so much fun to watch. Great routes, great hands, great positioning. All of the technical skill that you hope to see in receivers they had. Jarius Wright was an outstanding compliment. I feel like every catch he made either converted a key first or scored a touchdown. 

5. Anthony Carter, Cris Carter, Hasaan Jones

Anthony Carter and Hasaan Jones were nearing the end of their careers when Cris Carter came to the Vikings in 1990. For a couple years, the Carters tormented the league. Jones was an underrated compliment. 

6. Ahmad Rashad, Sammy White, Bob Grim

This trio is all about the duo of Ahmad Rashad and Sammy White. They were terrific. Both arrived in Minnesota in 1976. Rashad was an established talent in the league. He just needed a quarterback. White was a rookie. I’ve always believed that if he played his entire career with Fran Tarkenton, Rashad would have a bust in Canton. White was an immediate hit as a rookie and had a long, solid career with the Vikings. Grim may have had an unheralded career but he was a reliable receiver when needed. He had two stints with the Vikings. The first was more productive than the second. 

7. Gene Washington, John Henderson, Bob Grim

Gene Washington is one of the most underrated players in Vikings franchise history. He and Paul Flatley often get lost in the team’s great receiver tradition. Washington and John Henderson were one of the league’s best duos. Their talents made Joe Kapp look like a competent NFL thrower in 1969. This was Bob Grim’s first and most productive stint with the Vikings. He was even named to the 1971 Pro Bowl. 

One More Minnesota Vikings 53-Man Roster Projection

The good news is that projecting a Minnesota Vikings 53-man roster will become unnecessary this weekend. That’s when the Vikings will be doing the only roster cutdowns that matter. Until then, here’s one more Minnesota Vikings 53-man roster projection. 

Another Minnesota Vikings 53-man Roster Projection

Offense (25)

Quarterback (3)

Kyler Murray

J.J. McCarthy

Carson Wentz

Running Back (4)

Aaron Jones

Jordan Mason

Demond Claiborne

Zavier Scott

Fullback (1)

Max Bredeson

Wide Receiver (5)

Justin Jefferson

Jordan Addison

Jauan Jennings

Tai Felton

Myles Price

The play of Jeshaun Jones, Dontae Fleming, and Dillon Bell has made receiver decisions difficult. A dream scenario might be getting all three on the practice squad. 

Tight End (3)

T.J. Hockenson

Josh Oliver

Gavin Bartholomew

Offensive Line (9)

Christian Darrisaw

Donovan Jackson

Blake Brandel

Will Fries

Brian O’Neill

Ryan Van Demark

Caleb Tiernan

Michael Jurgens

Joe Huber

Defense (25)

Defensive Line (6)

Jalen Redmond

Levi Drake Rodriguez

Caleb Banks

Domonique Orange

Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins

Elijah Williams

After receiver, this might be my favorite position group on the team. 

Outside Linebacker (5)

Andrew Van Ginkel

Dallas Turner

Tyler Batty

Bo Richter

Chaz Chambliss

Defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins and rookie linebacker Jake Golday will further supplement the edge rushers. The Vikings might actually roster only four outside linebacker because of the versatility of those two players. 

Linebacker (4)

Blake Cashman

Eric Wilson

Ivan Pace Jr.

Jake Golday

Cornerback (4)

Byron Murphy Jr.

Isaiah Rodgers

Chuck Demmings

James Pierre

Safety (6)

Josh Metellus

Jay Ward

Theo Jackson

Jakobe Thomas

Tavierre Thomas

Jacob Thomas

While it would certainly complicate safety and defense roster numbers, I’m still hoping for a Harrison Smith return. 

Special Teams (3)

Kicker (1)

Will Reichard

Punter (1)

Johnny Hekker

Until I’m convinced that undrafted rookie Brett Thorson can consistently snap the ball, I’m going with Johnny Hekker. 

Long Snapper (1)

Andrew DePaola

NFL Top 100

The countdown of the NFL Top 100 continues. Since the release has been so quiet, it’s easy to miss. As of Monday, the quiet release is through 11. 

NFL Top 100 Players of 2026

100. Cameron Jordan, DE, New Orleans Saints

  99. Quenton Nelson, G, Indianapolis Colts

  98. Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers 

  97. Ernest Jones, LB, Seattle Seahawks 

  96. Travis Etienne, RB, New Orleans Saints

  95. Demario Davis, LB, New York Jets

  94. Creed Humphrey, C, Kansas City Chiefs

  93. Carson Schwesinger, LB, Cleveland Browns 

  92. Azeez Al-Shaair, LB, Houston Texans

  91. Montez Sweat, DE, Chicago Bears 

  90. Derrick Brown, DL, Carolina Panthers 

  89. Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams 

  88. Jack Campbell, LB, Detroit Lions

  87. Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina Panthers

  86. Tuli Tuipulotu, Edge, Los Angeles Chargers

  85. Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers 

  84. Byron Young, Edge, Los Angeles Rams 

  83. Jeffery Simmons, DT, Tennessee Titans 

  82. Jalen Ramsey, CB, Pittsburgh Steelers 

  81. Bobby Wagner, LB, Washington Commanders

  80. A.J. Brown, WR, New England Patriots 

  79. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs 

  77. Baker Mayfield, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  76. Jaycee Horn, CB, Carolina Panthers

  75. Budda Baker, Arizona Cardinals

  74. Josh Jacobs, RB, Green Bay Packers

  73. Zach Allen, DL, Denver Broncos

  72. Jordan Love, QB, Green Bay Packers

  71. Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens

  70. Xavier McKinney, S, Green Bay Packers

  69. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens

  68. Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos

  67. Jordyn Brooks, LB, Miami Dolphins

  66. Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons

  65. Roquan Smith, LB, Baltimore Ravens

  64. Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints

  63. Kyle Hamilton, S, Baltimore Ravens

  62. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars

  61. Kevin Byard, S, New England Patriots

  60. Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders

  59. Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos

  58. Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans

  57. Dion Dawkins, OT, Buffalo Bills

  56. Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

  55. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

  54. Fred Warner, LB, San Francisco 49ers

  53. Davante Adams, WR, Los Angeles Rams

  52. Tristan Wirfs, OT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  51. Caleb Williams, QB, Chicago Bears

  50. Derwin James, S, Los Angeles Chargers

  49. Joe Thuney, G, Chicago Bears

  48. Josh Hines-Allen, DE, Jacksonville Jaguars

  47. Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Philadelphia Eagles 

  46. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers

  45. Zack Baun, LB, Philadelphia Eagles

  44. Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

  43. Chris Jones, DL, Kansas City Chiefs

  42. Garrett Bolles, OT, Denver Broncos

  41. T.J. Watt, OLB, Pittsburgh Steelers

  40. Trent Williams, OT, San Francisco 49ers 

  39. Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers

  38. Cooper DeJean, CB, Philadelphia Eagles

  37. Penei Sewell, OT, Detroit Lions

  36. George Pickens, WR, Dallas Cowboys

  35. Jared Verse, DE, Cleveland Browns

  34. Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles 

  33. Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions

  32. Nic Bonitto, Edge, Denver Broncos

  31. Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys

  30. Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Detroit Lions

  29. Jalen Carter, DT, Philadelphia Eagles 

  28. Christian Gonzalez, CB, New England Patriots

  27. Devin Lloyd, LB, Carolina Panthers

  26. De’Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins

  25. Derrick Stingley Jr., CB, Houston Texans

  24. Maxx Crosby, DE, Las Vegas Raiders

  23. Danielle Hunter, DE, Houston Texans

  22. Amon Ra-St.Brown, WR, Detroit Lions

  21. Sam Darnold, QB, Seattle Seahawks 

  20. James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills

  19. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

  18. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

  17. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

  16. Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

  15. Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens

  14. Brian Burns, DE, New York Giants

  13. Trey McBride, TE, Arizona Cardinals

  12. Will Anderson,  Jr., DE, Houston Texans

  11. Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots

Justin Jefferson at #19, is, of course, a joke. The players really hacked up that voting. Getting 1000 yards with the collection of quarterback and offensive play the Minnesota Vikings trotted onto the field throught the season might’ve been the greatest accomplishment of Jefferson’s great career. Anyway, it’s the player’s Top 100. Jefferson will return his proper place among the very best players in the league next year. 

The above 90 players leaving the following players in the Top 10. 

Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

Myles Garrett, DE, Los Angeles Rams

Jamyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions

Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers 

Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams

Micah Parsons, DE, Green Bay Packers

Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks

Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams

Patrick Surtain II, CB, Denver Broncos

Here’s a guess at the order of the Top 10.

10. Patrick Surtain II

  9. Christian McCaffrey

  8. Micah Parsons  

  7. Puka Nacua

  6. Jamyr Gibbs

  5. Jaxon Smith-Njigba

  4. Bijan Robinson

  3. Matthew Stafford

  2. Josh Allen

  1. Myles Garrett

It’s always a stretch to pick a defensive player over a quarterback in this list but Myles Garrett feels like the player to do it. 

Vikings Preseason Game #2

It’s only preseason. 

After being dominated for two days in joint practices, the Baltimore Ravens scored more points than the Minnesota Vikings in Preseason Game #2. 13-3.

The Vikings had a couple opportunities to score touchdowns. In the first quarter, J.J. McCarthy missed a wide open Myles Price for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Max Brosmer threw an interception in the red zone. In between, there was a lot of preseason-level play. 

For me the highlight play of this preseason game was probably nose tackle Domonique Orange dropping in coverage and deflecting a pass about ten yards downfield. It was that sort of game. 

I like watching this Brian Flores-choreographed Vikings defense. Even if it’s backups against backups, this defense is fun. Even when they give up some plays, the players are so close to preventing that play. From starters to deep backups, they are competing. This is a fun defense. I can not wait to see it when the games count. 

The Vikings defense was fun. The Vikings offense had some moments but couldn’t string enough of those moments together. Most disappointing was the run game. Rookie Demond Claiborne had first half opportunities but found little running room. Zavier Scott had the second half had and the best runs of the game. With starting quarterback Kyler Murray sitting the rest of preseason, J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer each had some game-impacting plays. None could maintain any offensive momentum.

The best of the Vikings offense was receivers Tai Felton, Dillon Bell, and Jeshaun Jones. Each had over 50 yards receiving. The Vikings decision-makers will have some tough receiver decisions to make when it comes to trimming the roster. 

A loss is a loss but this loss to the Ravens was one of those preseason games that didn’t really feel like a loss. It was just a preseason game. The quarterbacks missed some throws but 300 yards in a preseason game filled with backups is decent offensive production. The defense, as usual, was fun. The single Vikings touchdown allowed felt like a fluke. 

The Vikings wrap up the preseason next week at the Denver Broncos. 

Players I’m Watching

After two days of hosting joint practices, the Minnesota Vikings are hosting the Baltimore Ravens today in Preseason Game #2. It’d be nice if the starters of both teams would get a series, or two. Unfortunately, those players saw their action of the week in the joint practices. As is the way in the current NFL, it’s the backups that see the bulk of the action in preseason games. So, here are some of the Vikings players I’m watching today against the Ravens. 

Offense:

Demond Claiborne, RB

After being a bit slowed by an injury earlier in camp, the rookie sixth-round pick is really starting to flash the reason the Vikings traded up, albeit in the sixth round, to secure him. That speed. Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason will get most of the carries. I believe that Demond Claiborne will play his way into some of those carries.

The Receivers

Myles Price

Tai Felton

Dontae Fleming

Jeshaun Jones

Dillon Bell

The Vikings trio at the top of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jauan Jennings is the best in the league. Tai Felton and Myles Price have been terrific in training camp and have probably secured roster spots. They should get some opportunities today. Dontae Fleming, Jeshaun Jones, and Dillon Bell are doing all they can to force the Vikings to keep six receivers. 

Gavin Bartholomew, TE

As a sixth round pick last year, Gavin Bartholomew missed his rookie season with a back injury. He’s been a training camp standout. Hopefully, he continues the strong play today.

The Defensive Line

The Vikings defensive line is a fun group. I doubt that Jalen Redmond plays today. I’m not sure about Levi Drake Rodriguez. It might take tranquilizers to keep him off the field. Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins probably makes an appearance. The rest should play. I’m especially excited to see top picks Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange. 

Jake Golday, LB

Drafted in the second round, Jake Golday has a lot on his plate as an off-the-ball linebacker and as an edge rusher. I hope he plays enough to see all of it.

Bengally Kamara, LB

An undrafted rookie, Bengally Kamara played well last week against the New York Giants. That opened some eyes. He has another chance to impress today.

Chuck Demmings, CB

I’m always excited to see Chuck Demmings.

The Thomas’

Jakobe Thomas, S

Jacob Thomas, S

Jakobe Thomas was drafted in the third round to be an early contributor. He’s missed training camp time with an injury. That injury and the horrible injury to Jamal Adams in the Giants game gave undrafted rookie Jacob Thomas extra opportunities. He was impressing even before those opportunities. I can easily see a future Vikings safety tandem of Jakobe Thomas and Jacob Thomas. That would be fun. 

To be honest, making a list of “Players I’m Watching” in Vikings preseason is silly. I’m watching all of the players. But, that above are players I am very excited to watch.