Minnesota Vikings Roster: How Did They Get Here?

I might be spending too much time pondering the 91-man roster of the Minnesota Vikings. Here’s a look at how the 91 players were brought to Minnesota. 

Draft: First Round

Harrison Smith (2012)

Garrett Bradbury (2109)

Justin Jefferson (2020)

Christian Darrisaw (2021)

Lewis Cine (2022)

Jordan Addison (2023)

Draft: Second Round

Dalvin Cook (2017)

Brian O’Neill (2018)

Ezra Cleveland (2020)

Andrew Booth Jr. (2022)

Ed Ingram (2022)

Draft: Third Round

Danielle Hunter (2015)

Alexander Mattison (2019)

Patrick Jones II (2021)

Brian Asamoah (2022)

Mekhi Blackmon (2023)

Draft: Fourth Round

D.J. Wonnum (2020)

James Lynch (2020)

Troy Dye (2020)

Kene Nwangwu (2021)

Camryn Bynum (2021)

Akayleb Evans (2022)

Jay Ward (2023)

Draft: Fifth Round

K.J. Osborn (2020)

Esezi Otomewo (2022)

Ty Chandler (2022)

Jaquelin Roy (2023)

Jaren Hall (2023)

Draft: Sixth Round

Oli Udoh (2019)

Josh Metellus (2020)

Blake Brandel (2020)

Vederian Lowe (2022)

Jalen Nailor (2022)

Draft: Seventh Round

Nick Muse (2022)

DeWayne McBride (2023)

Undrafted Free Agent

C.J. Ham (2016)

Blake Proehl (2021)

Luiji Vilain (2022)

Josh Sokol (2022)

Ryan Wright (2022)

William Kwenkeu (2022)

Alan Ali (2023)

Calvin Avery (2023)

Abraham Beauplan (2023)

Andre Carter II (2023)

Jacky Chen (2023)

C.J. Coldon (2023)

Wilson Huber (2023)

Cephus Johnson (2023)

Malik Knowles (2023)

Ivan Pace Jr. (2023)

Jack Podlesny (2023)

Ben Sims (2023)

Thayer Thomas (2023)

NaJee Thompson (2023)

Jaylin Williams (2023)

Junior Aho (2023)

Zack Ojile (2023)

Trade

Jalen Reagor (2022)

Ross Blacklock (2022)

Nick Mullens (2022)

T.J. Hockenson (2022)

Unrestricted Free Agent

Kirk Cousins (2018)

Harrison Phillips (2022)

Johnny Mundt (2022)

Chris Reed (2022)

Austin Schlottman (2022)

Jonathan Bullard (2022)

Josh Oliver (2023)

Byron Murphy Jr. (2023)

Marcus Davenport (2023)

Dean Lowry (2023)

Brandon Powell (2023)

Troy Reeder (2023)

Joejuan Williams (2023)

Street Free Agent

Andrew DePaola (2020)

Ben Ellefson (2021)

Greg Joseph (2021)

T.J. Smith (2021)

Trishton Jackson (2021)

Jordan Hicks (2022)

Tay Gowan (2022)

Benton Whitley (2022)

Khyiris Tonga (2022)

Theo Jackson (2022)

Kalon Barnes (2022)

Sheldon Day (2022)

Curtis Weaver (2023)

John Reid (2023)

Sam Schlueter (2023)

Lucky Jackson (2023)

5 Most Significant Minnesota Vikings Offseason Moves

Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah probably regrets using the term “competitive rebuild” for his first-year team-building strategy last year. The media grabbed the term and have been running with it ever since. New team regimes often blow up what they’ve inherited. Start anew. Look at the Chicago Bears. Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell decided to take the path of remaking the roster without blowing up the team. I liked it a year ago. I like it even more now. Other than a frequently frustrating defense, the Vikings 2022 season was a blast. The Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts games will probably always be two of the most memorable regular season games of my Vikings life. Add to that the beautiful dismantling of the Green Bay Packers in Week 1. Last season was a fun first season for Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell. A 13-4 record was great and fun but the defense was terrible. Without improvements on that side of the ball, the Vikings could easily be 4-13 in 2023. The biggest offensive issue were the stretches of doing little to nothing. In nearly every game, the Vikings offense seemed to go into hibernation for several possessions. It was often due to the opposing defense successfully taking receiver Justin Jefferson out of the game. The Vikings offense has to be able to make defenses suffer when they put so many resources into shutting down one of the game’s best players. In his second year guiding the Vikings, Adofo-Mensah made some moves to address those issues. He continued his “competitive rebuild.” Here are a few of the most significant moves.

5 Most Significant Minnesota Vikings Offseason Moves

1. Hiring Brian Flores as defensive coordinator

There was excitement in early February when the Vikings hired Brian Flores to coordinate the defense. There was even more excitement in late May with what was seen and said of the defense on the second day of full-team practices. Last season, the Vikings defense was a tough watch. They were slow and passive. That’s a horrible combination when offenses in today’s NFL play fast and aggressive. In last week’s practices, the first full-team practices of the offseason, the Vikings defense was fast, aggressive, and unpredictable. The offensive players were shocked. They didn’t see anything like this from their own defense all of last season. There’s no contact in these practices so a lot is left to imagination. With Flores crafting the defense, it’s difficult to imagine the Vikings defense not being greatly improved. 

2. Signing cornerback Byron Murphy Jr.

The Vikings cornerback position was completely overhauled this offseason. Patrick Peterson, Cam Dantzler, Duke Shelley, and Chandon Sullivan were the top four corners by the end of the season. All are playing elsewhere. At the start of the offseason, 2022 draft picks Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans topped the depth chart. Fine. They were drafted in the second- and fourth-rounds, respectively, to develop into starters. The Vikings still needed some experience and leadership in the room. Enter Byron Murphy Jr. He was one of the best corners available in free agency. He’s also quite versatile. That’s a desired quality in Flores’ flexible, unpredictable defense. It’s expected that Murphy will play on the outside in base and moved inside in nickel. So, he’ll mostly be inside.

3. Drafting receiver Jordan Addison

Jordan Addison will pair nicely with Justin Jefferson. Both are beautiful route-runners. Great hands. Jefferson is a great receiver. Addison has the talent to be a great receiver as well. Jefferson, Addison, and K.J. Osborn top the Vikings receiver depth chart. That’s a more potent trio than last year’s of Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and Osborn. Addison will help the Vikings offense make defenses pay for focusing on Jefferson. I can easily see a Jefferson-Addison receiving duo being one of the league’s most dangerous in a couple years. 

4. Signing “outside linebacker” Marcus Davenport

When the Vikings signed Marcus Davenport during the “tampering window” it felt like he was added to replace Za’Darius Smith. That really didn’t happen until Smith was traded to the Cleveland Browns a couple weeks ago. Davenport will team with Danielle Hunter to form a potentially potent edge-rushing duo. Since he played in a four-man front in New Orleans, many have questioned his ability to play as a 3-4 outside linebacker. There were and still are similar questions about Hunter. Davenport and Hunter are freakishly talented football players. I expect Flores and outside linebacker coach Mike Smith to find a way to bring the best out of them. Davenport must stay on the field. Injuries have been his biggest issue over his five years in the league. 

5. Firing Ed Donatell. 

This is really 1b to the Flores hiring. With each day since the end of the Vikings 2023 season I grow more frustrated with the play of the Vikings defense under Ed Donatell. It was so bad. I just don’t get how they could play so passively for 18 games. It wasn’t working and they just kept doing it. The only thing that kept the Vikings defense from being a 100% failure was the occasional big play. Several of which won games. Nearly all of which were simply great individual plays. Those big plays kinda hid many of the issues during the season. A lot of issues are hidden when a team is finding ways to win most of their games. 

Minnesota Vikings 91-man Roster By College

The Minnesota Vikings roster is at the offseason roster limit of 90 players. With international player Junior Aho, the Vikings have 91 players on the roster. Here’s a look at the roster broken down by college. 

LSU
Danielle Hunter
Justin Jefferson

Ed Ingram

Jaquelin Roy

Jay Ward

TCU

Alan Ali

Ross Blacklock

Jalen Reagor

Austin Schlottman

Boise State

Ezra Cleveland

Alexander Mattison

Curtis Weaver

Baylor

Kalon Barnes

James Lynch

Ben Sims

BYU

Jaren Hall

Khyiris Tonga

Cincinnati

Ivan Pace Jr.

Wilson Huber

Florida 

Jonathan Bullard

Brandon Powell

Georgia

Lewis Cine

Jack Podlesny

Illinois

Calvin Avery

Vederian Lowe

Michigan State

Kirk Cousins

Jalen Nailor

Minnesota

Esezi Otomewo

Sam Schlueter

North Carolina State

Garrett Bradbury

Thayer Thomas

Notre Dame

Harrison Smith

Sheldon Day

Oklahoma

Brian Asamoah II

C.J. Coldon Jr.

Oregon

Troy Dye

Johnny Mundt

Pittsburgh

Brian O’Neill

Patrick Jones II

South Carolina

D.J. Wonnum

Nick Muse

USC

Jordan Addison

Mekhi Blackmon

Alabama-Birmingham

DeWayne McBride

Arkansas

T.J. Smith

Army

Andre Carter II

Augustana (S.D.)

C.J. Ham

California

Camryn Bynum

Central Florida

Tay Gowan

Clemson

Andrew Booth Jr.

Delaware

Troy Reeder

East Carolina

Blake Proehl

Elon

Olisaemmeka Udoh

Florida Atlantic

Greg Joseph

Florida State

Dalvin Cook

Georgia Southern

NaJee Thompson

Holy Cross

Benton Whitley

Indiana 

Jaylin Williams

Iowa

T.J. Hockenson

Iowa State

Kene Nwangwu

Kansas State

Malik Knowles

Marshall

Abraham Beauplan

Miami 

K.J. Osborn

Michigan

Josh Metellus

Minnesota-Duluth

Zack Ojile

Minnesota State-Mankato

Chris Reed

Missouri

Akayleb Evans

North Carolina

Ty Chandler

North Dakota State

Ben Ellefson

Northwestern

Dean Lowry

Oregon State

Blake Brandel

Pace

Jacky Chen

Penn State

John Reid

Rutgers

Andrew DePaola

SMU

Junior Aho

Sacred Heart

Josh Sokol

San Jose State

Josh Oliver

Southeastern Louisiana

Cephus Johnson III

Southern Mississippi

Nick Mullens

Stanford 

Harrison Phillips

Syracuse

Trishton Jackson

Temple

William Kwenkeu

Tennessee

Theo Jackson

Texas

Jordan Hicks

Texas-San Antonio

Marcus Davenport

Tulane

Ryan Wright

Vanderbilt

Joejuan Williams

Virginia Tech

Christian Darrisaw

Wake Forest

Luiji Vilain

Washington 

Byron Murphy Jr.

Western Kentucky

Lucky Jackson

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 80-71

The Flea Flicker countdown of the 100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players continues with players ranked 80-71. 

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 80-71

  80. Phil Loadholt, OT

  79. Wade Wilson, QB

  78. Orlando Thomas, S

  77. Chester Taylor, RB

  76. Ed Sharockman, CB

  75. Nate Wright, CB

  74. Lonnie Warwick, LB

  73. Roy Winston, LB

  72. Brian Robison, DE

  71. Percy Harvin, WR

The 1980s were a somewhat confusing time for Vikings quarterbacks. Actually, nearly every decade since Fran Tarkenton retired has been a confusing time for Vikings quarterbacks. Tommy Kramer was drafted in the first round in 1977 to be Tarkenton’s heir. When Kramer was on the field, he was a fun gunslinger. Injuries too often kept him off the field. Wade Wilson was a late-round pick in 1981. He developed into a reliable starter by the end of the late-1980s. He even made the Pro Bowl in 1988. 

Chester Taylor was signed as a free agent in 2006 to be the Vikings top running back. He gained over 1200 yards that season. Then the Vikings drafted Adrian Peterson and Taylor was relegated to being one of the league’s best backups. He was a terrific third-down back. 

Ed Sharockman was one of the Vikings starting corners for most of the 1960s. He collected 40 interceptions during an underrated career. 

Nate Wright is best known for being the player shoved to the ground by Drew Pearson in the 1975 playoffs. Despite that unfortunate play, Wright was one of the best corners in Vikings franchise history.

Lonnie Warwick and Roy Winston were two-thirds of the linebacker trio that played in the giant shadow of the Purple People Eaters. Warwick, Winston, and Wally Hilgenberg were a solid trio. 

Brian Robison is an example of a player getting a boost on this list for the person that he is. He was a terrific football player but he was also really great with the fans. He still is. His “96 Questions” was a blast. 

Percy Harvin should be higher on this list. To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure why he isn’t. It just seemed to fall this way. Perhaps it’s the shortness of his time in Minnesota. Perhaps it’s the disappointment and frustration with his departure. Who knows? Despite being a Top 25 talent he falls to #71. He was a fun football player. 

A Too Early Minnesota Vikings 53-man Roster Projection

I hate projecting Minnesota Vikings 53-man rosters in May. Even June. It’s a ridiculous exercise before training camp and preseason games. I can’t help myself. When viewing the 90-man roster, I can’t help imagining the 53-man roster hidden within it. Based on absolutely nothing, here’s a too early projection of the Minnesota Vikings 53-man Roster. 

A Too Early Minnesota Vikings 53-man Roster Projection

Offense (25)

Quarterback (2)

  8 Kirk Cousins

16 Jaren Hall

Running Back (5)

  4 Dalvin Cook

  2 Alexander Mattison 

26 Kene Nwangwu

32 Ty Chandler

37 DeWayne McBride

Five is way too many running backs! This is the toughest position to project simply because of the uncertain roster status of Dalvin Cook. Personally, I want him on the roster. Even at 28, he’s the team’s most talented back. If Cook is on the roster, I can’t pick another back to cut. Perhaps Kene Nwangwu. I don’t see the team’s decision-makers cutting the back that they re-signed (Alexander Mattison) or the two backs that they drafted (Ty Chandler and DeWayne McBride). In late May, I have the Vikings keeping five running backs and only two quarterbacks. 

Fullback (1)

30 C.J. Ham

Wide Receiver (5)

18 Justin Jefferson

17 K.J. Osborn

  3 Jordan Addison

83 Jalen Nailor

19 Brandon Powell

Tight End (3)

87 T. J Hockenson

84 Josh Oliver

86 Johnny Mundt

Offensive Linemen (9)

71 Christian Darrisaw

72 Ezra Cleveland

56 Garrett Bradbury 

67 Ed Ingram

75 Brian O’Neill

64 Blake Brandel

65 Austin Schlottman

62 Chris Reed

79 Vederian Lowe

Defense (25)

Defensive Line (6)

94 Dean Lowry

97 Harrison Phillips

92 James Lynch

95 Khyiris Tonga

90 Esezi Otomewo

78 Jaquelin Roy

Outside Linebacker (5)

99 Danielle Hunter

  0 Marcus Davenport

91 Patrick Jones

98 D.J.Wonnum

57 Andre Carter  II

Inside Linebacker (4)

33 Brian Asamoah

58 Jordan Hicks

45 Troy Dye

40 Ivan Pace Jr. 

Cornerback (5)

  7 Byron Murphy Jr.

21 Akayleb Evans

23 Andrew Booth Jr.

11 Mekhi Blackmon

29 Joejuan Williams

Safety (5)

22 Harrison Smith

  6 Lewis Cine

24 Camryn Bynum

44 Josh Metellus

20 Jay Ward

Special Teams (3)

Kicker (1)

  1 Greg Joseph

Punter (1)

14 Ryan Wright

Long Snapper (1)

42 Andrew DePaola

Minnesota Vikings Updated Roster

An NFL roster is a very fluid thing. It’s even more fluid in the offseason. Just when I thought that the roster of the Minnesota Vikings might be set through OTAs and the mandatory mini-camp, they threw in a little roster tweak. Receiver Dontavion “Lucky” Jackson was signed on Tuesday. Lucky most recently played in the XFL for the D.C. Defenders. He had 36 catches for 573 yards and five touchdowns. He was named to the All-XFL team following the season. Prior to his lone XFL season, Lucky played in the Spring League in 2021 and the CFL in 2022. Despite a very productive final season at Western Kentucky (94 catches/1,133 yards/4 TDs), he wasn’t selected in or signed after the 2020 NFL Draft. That left him to manage and be patient with professional football’s “other” leagues. Now, he has his shot with the Vikings. To make room for Lucky on the roster, defensive end Kenny Willekes was released. After being selected in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Willekes struggled with staying on the field. He only saw the field in 2021 and was productive (2.5 sacks) in six games. He simply couldn’t dodge injuries. He has the talent for the NFL. 

Here’s the current roster of the Minnesota Vikings. 

Minnesota Vikings Roster

Offense (42)

Quarterback (3)

  8 Kirk Cousins

12 Nick Mullens

16 Jaren Hall

Running Back (5)

  4 Dalvin Cook

  2 Alexander Mattison 

26 Kene Nwangwu

32 Ty Chandler

37 DeWayne McBride

Fullback (2)

30 C.J. Ham

41 Zach Ojile

Wide Receiver (12)

18 Justin Jefferson

17 K.J. Osborn

  3 Jordan Addison

  5 Jalen Reager

83 Jalen Nailor

19 Brandon Powell

  9 Trishton Jackson

13 Blake Proehl

89 Thayer Thomas

81 Malik Knowles

85 Cephus Johnson II

15 Lucky Jackson

Tight End (6)

87 T. J Hockenson

84 Josh Oliver

86 Johnny Mundt

82 Ben Ellefson

34 Nick Muse

49 Ben Sims

Offensive Linemen (14)

71 Christian Darrisaw

72 Ezra Cleveland

56 Garrett Bradbury 

67 Ed Ingram

75 Brian O’Neill

64 Blake Brandel

65 Austin Schlottman

62 Chris Reed

74 Oli Udoh

79 Vederian Lowe

60 Josh Sokol

66 Alan Ali

63 Jacky Chen

61 Sam Schlueter

Defense (45)

Defensive Line (11)

94 Dean Lowry

97 Harrison Phillips

92 James Lynch

95 Khyiris Tonga

90 Esezi Otomewo

78 Jaquelin Roy

93 Jonathan Bullard

96 Ross Blacklock

50 T. J. Smith

52 Sheldon Day

69 Calvin Avery

Outside Linebacker (9)

99 Danielle Hunter

  0 Marcus Davenport

98 D.J.Wonnum

91 Patrick Jones

43 Luiji Vilain

51 Benton Whitley

54 Curtis Weaver

57 Andre Carter  II

73  Junio Aho

Inside Linebacker (8)

33 Brian Asamoah

58 Jordan Hicks

45 Troy Dye

59 Troy Reeder

47 William Kwenkeu

40 Ivan Pace Jr. 

57 Wilson Huber

39 Abraham Beauplan

Cornerback (11)

  7 Byron Murphy Jr.

21 Akayleb Evans

23 Andrew Booth Jr.

11 Mekhi Blackmon

29 Joejuan Williams

31 Tay Gowan

27 Kalon Barnes

28 John Reid

38 Jaylin Williams

36 NaJee Thompson

35 C. J. Coldon 

Safety (6)

22 Harrison Smith

  6 Lewis Cine

24 Camryn Bynum

44 Josh Metellus

20 Jay Ward

25 Theo Jackson

Special Teams (4)

Kicker (2)

  1 Greg Joseph

46 Jack Podlesny

Punter (1)

14 Ryan Wright

Long Snapper (1)

42 Andrew DePaola

2023 NFL Draft Seven-Round Signing Tracker

The 2023 NFL Draft was nearly a month ago. Most of the signing interest is on the players selected in the first round. Here’s an update of the signing status of the players selected in that first round as well as a brief summary of the players selected 32-259. 

First Round

1.   Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

2.   Houston Texans: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State

3.   Houston Texans: Will Anderson Jr., Edge, Alabama

4.   Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

5.   Seattle Seahawks: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois

6.   Arizona Cardinals: Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State-Signed

7.   Las Vegas Raiders: Tyree Wilson, Edge, Texas Tech-Signed

8.   Atlanta Falcons: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas-Signed

9.   Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia-Signed

10. Chicago Bears: Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee-Signed

11. Tennessee Titans: Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern

12. Detroit Lions: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama

13. Green Bay Packers: Lukas Van Ness, Edge, Iowa

14. Pittsburgh Steelers: Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia 

15. New York Jets: Will McDonald IV, Edge, Iowa State

16. Washington Commanders: Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State

17. New England Patriots: Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

18. Detroit Lions: Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa-Signed

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh

20. Seattle Seahawks: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State-Signed 

21. Los Angeles Chargers: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU-Signed

22. Baltimore Ravens: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College

23. Minnesota Vikings: Jordan Addison, WR, USC-Signed

24. New York Giants: Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland-Signed

25. Buffalo Bills: Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah-Signed

26. Dallas Cowboys: Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan-Signed

27. Jacksonville Jaguars: Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma-Signed

28. Cincinnati Bengals: Myles Murphy, Edge, Clemson-Signed

29. New Orleans Saints: Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson-Signed

30. Philadelphia Eagles: Nolan Smith, LB, Georgia-Signed

31. Kansas City Chiefs: Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State-Signed

17 of the 31 players selected in the first round have signed their rookie contracts. 54.8% of the players selected in the first round are signed. 

Second Round

8/32-signed

25%

The players selected in the second round are annually the slowest/most difficult to sign. Seven of the eight signed second round picks were the final selections of the round. 

Third Round

33/39-signed

84.6%

Fourth Round

27/33-signed

81.8%

Fifth Round

36/42-signed

85.7%

Sixth Round

33/40-signed 

82.5%

Seventh Round

37/42-signed

88%

All Rounds

191/259-signed

73.7% of the players selected in the 2023 NFL Draft have signed their first NFL contract. 

The Minnesota Vikings Defense I’d Like To See

The reports on the Minnesota Vikings defense from the early days of OTAs are exciting. The Vikings needed to change from the passive bunch that let offenses do what they wanted last season. That change started with the hiring of Brian Flores. His impact has already impressed the Vikings offense.

“It’s crazy.”

“Intense” 

“Exotic”

Flores is already installing things the offensive players weren’t expecting until much later in the process. The offense is seeing things that they never saw from the defense last season. The offense is having to adjust to a defense in a non-contact practice in May much like they would have to adjust to a defense in a live game in October. That is a very exciting change. 

This year’s Vikings defense will be nothing like last year’s Vikings defense. That is exciting. Flores’ scheme is exciting. Other than the cornerbacks, it’s fairly easy to project this year’s starters in the scheme. It’s more fun to imagine the young players that have been specifically selected to play in that scheme.

DE	Esezi Otomewo
NT	Harrison Phillips
DE	Jaquelin Roy
OLB	Danielle Hunter
LB	Brian Asamoah
LB	Ivan Pace Jr.
OLB	Marcus Davenport
CB	Byron Murphy Jr.
CB	Andrew Booth Jr.
S	Harrison Smith
S	Lewis Cine

It’s fairly safe to say that veteran linebacker Jordan Hicks will be starting next to Brian Asamoah rather than Ivan Pace Jr. After all, Hicks is a proven and effective starter. Pace is an undrafted rookie. Especially during this season of change, the Vikings will need Hicks’ experience and leadership in the middle of the defense. I really like Pace and I expect him to pair nicely with Asamoah for many years. I just don’t expect it to start this year. Maybe we’ll see a peppering of the pairing through the season. 

I like rookie defensive lineman Jaquelin Roy more on the nose but wanted to keep Harrison Phillips there. For now. Roy is versatile so I doubt that he’ll ever be kept in a single position. I really like Esezi Otomewo’s potential. 

Other than Byron Murphy Jr., cornerback is wide open. Andrew Booth Jr., Akayleb Evans, Mekhi Blackmon, and possibly Joejuan Williams are the top contenders to start opposite Murphy. In nickel, Murphy is expected to slide inside so both outside corner spots are open for those contenders. 

Harrison Smith is the old man of this defense. He’s nearing the end of his great career. I can’t wait to see him in Flores’ defense. Versatility is his strength and he’s at his best when he’s lining up all over the defense. He might not be the most vocal person but Smith will be a great mentor for young safeties Lewis Cine, Camryn Bynum, Josh Metellus, and Jay Ward. Bynum and Ward have cornerback versatility. The ability to play different spots is critical in this defense. 

Front to back, no matter the personnel on the field, I’m excited to see the Vikings defense this season. I know that Flores will take advantage of his player’s traits and talents. It’s going to be fun. Other than a scattered big plays, the defense wasn’t fun last year. 

NFL Draft First Round Signing Tracker

The first round of the 2023 NFL Draft was nearly an month ago. Here’s an update of the signing status of the players selected in that first round. 

First Round

1.   Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

2.   Houston Texans: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State

3.   Houston Texans: Will Anderson Jr., Edge, Alabama

4.   Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

5.   Seattle Seahawks: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois

6.   Arizona Cardinals: Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State-Signed

7.   Las Vegas Raiders: Tyree Wilson, Edge, Texas Tech-Signed

8.   Atlanta Falcons: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas-Signed

9.   Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia-Signed

10. Chicago Bears: Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee-Signed

11. Tennessee Titans: Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern

12. Detroit Lions: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama

13. Green Bay Packers: Lukas Van Ness, Edge, Iowa

14. Pittsburgh Steelers: Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia 

15. New York Jets: Will McDonald IV, Edge, Iowa State

16. Washington Commanders: Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State

17. New England Patriots: Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

18. Detroit Lions: Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh

20. Seattle Seahawks: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State-Signed 

21. Los Angeles Chargers: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU-Signed

22. Baltimore Ravens: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College

23. Minnesota Vikings: Jordan Addison, WR, USC-Signed

24. New York Giants: Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland-Signed

25. Buffalo Bills: Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah-Signed

26. Dallas Cowboys: Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan-Signed

27. Jacksonville Jaguars: Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma-Signed

28. Cincinnati Bengals: Myles Murphy, Edge, Clemson-Signed

29. New Orleans Saints: Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson-Signed

30. Philadelphia Eagles: Nolan Smith, LB, Georgia-Signed

31. Kansas City Chiefs: Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State-Signed

***

16 of the 31 players selected in the first round have signed their rookie contracts. 

Minnesota Vikings Kick Off OTAs

The Minnesota Vikings kick off the first of nine Offseason Team Activity (OTAs) practices today. These are the first full-team football practices of the offseason but they come with strict guidelines. There’s no live contact permitted. 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and full team drills are allowed. It’s football light. Still, it allows head coach Kevin O’Connell and new defensive coordinator Brian Flores their first opportunities to install their offense and defense, respectively. The nine OTAs will lead to the Vikings mandatory minicamp on June 13 and 14. 

Here are some of the “big” storylines of the Vikings OTAs

1. Defense, Defense, Defense.

The biggest difference between Kevin O’Connell’s first year as the Vikings head coach and his second year will be the defense. The defense last year under Ed Donatell was terrible. It was passive and slow. That’s the wrong way to play against aggressive and fast offenses. Enter Brian Flores. His defenses in New England and Miami played aggressively and fast. The Vikings biggest addition of the offseason was the hiring of Flores. 

2. Cornerback Competition.

No Vikings position changed more than cornerback this offseason. Over the last half of the 2022 season, the Vikings cornerback depth chart looked like this.

Patrick Peterson

Cam Dantzler

Duke Shelley

Chandon Sullivan

All are playing elsewhere. Entering OTAs, the top of the Vikings cornerback depth chart looks like this.

Byron Murphy Jr.

Andrew Booth Jr.

Akayleb Evans

Mekhi Blackmon

Byron Murphy Jr. was the Vikings biggest free agent addition. The apparent plan is for Murphy to play outside in base and move inside in nickel. His versatility will fit nicely in Flores’ plan to field an unpredictable defense. After Murphy, the cornerback competition will be wide open and should be the team’s most intriguing competition of training camp. 

3. New Edge Tandem.

Last season, the Vikings slow and passive defense boasted a potent edge rushing tandem of Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith. Marcus Davenport was signed in free agency. For most of the offseason, it looked like the Vikings might boast an edge trio of Hunter, Smith, and Davenport. That was shaved to a tandem when Smith was traded to the Cleveland Browns. Davenport has freakish strength and natural talent. While he showed flashes of dominance in his five years with the New Orleans Saints, he never really put together a complete season. Hopefully, Flores and outside linebacker coach Mike Smith can bring out Davenport’s tremendous potential. 

4. Second-year defenders.

Much has been made of last season’s lack of rookie production from Lewis Cine, Andrew Booth Jr., Brian Asamoah, and Akayleb Evans. Cine, Booth, and Evans had their rookie seasons cut short by injuries. Asamoah played the entire season behind the veteran linebacker duo of Eric Kendricks and Jordan Hicks. All four of those second-year defenders should be contenders for starting jobs this year. Kendricks is now with the Los Angeles Chargers and Asamoah is penciled as the starter next to Hicks. I expect Cine to start next to Harrison Smith. One or both of Booth and Evans should start next to Murphy. A fifth second-year defender that should contend for significant snaps is defensive lineman Esezi Otomewo. The Vikings didn’t get much from their 2022 Draft Class but that should change considerably this season. 

5. Receiver Competition.

The Vikings receiver group starts with Justin Jefferson. That’s a beautiful place to start. The departure of Adam Thielen this offseason opened up competition at WR2. K.J. Osborn has shown in some spectacular moments that he’s ready for the role. The Vikings selected USC receiver Jordan Addison in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft to pair nicely with Jefferson. The Vikings top 3 receivers are clearly Jefferson, Osborn, and Addison heading into the 2023 season. That’s a nice trio. I like second-year Jalen Nailor to emerge from a crowded group behind the top three. 

6. Running back questions.

The biggest question with the Vikings running backs is whether Dalvin Cook will be one of them. If he remains in Minnesota, he tops a very crowded room. 

Dalvin Cook

Alexander Mattison

Ty Chandler

Kene Nwangwu

DeWayne McBride

That’s a very crowded room. Even though the Vikings only gave Mattison a modest extension, it’ tough to see both Cook and Mattison at the top of the RB depth chart. The Vikings current decision-makers signed Mattison and selected Chandler and McBride in the past two drafts. It’s easy to see those three backs being part of a committee moving forward. Nwangwu provides unique kick-return ability. That leaves Cook on the outside. His big contract puts him even further outside. I will hate to see Cook leave. He’s still a terrific runner and a team leader, on and off the field. The Vikings have already lost enough of those this offseason.

Vikings OTAs start today. Football is fun. Football practice is fun. Even non-contract practice. 

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 90-81

The Flea Flicker countdown of the 100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players continues with players ranked 90-81. 

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 90-81

  90. Lance Johnstone, DE

  89. David Dixon, OG

  88. Paul Flatley, WR

  87. Paul Dickson, DT

  86. Ted Brown, RB

  85. Darrin Nelson, RB

  84. Ben Leber, LB

  83. Milt Sunde, OG

  82. Rickey Young, RB

  81. Joe Kapp, QB

Lance Johnstone was an underrated free agent signing. The Vikings really had no pass rushing presence after John Randle left following the 2000 season. Johnstone signed in 2001 and started sacking quarterbacks. His best seasons were as a situational pass rusher. 

The Vikings have a strong receiver tradition. Paul Flatley started that. He was the first Vikings receiver to take home Rookie of the Year honors. His five years in Minnesota weren’t nearly enough. 

Darrin Nelson might be best remembered by Vikings fans for not being Marcus Allen. I’m not sure if the Vikings decision-makers had Chuck Foreman in mind when they drafted him over Allen. Nelson might’ve been that sort of player at Stanford. He wasn’t built to be that sort of player in the NFL. I always liked Nelson but he was never going to be the type of running back that the Vikings drafted him to be. 

Ben Leber was an easy football player to like. He was always steady. He was always around the ball. And he made a lot of big plays. He was the third linebacker to EJ Henderson and Chad Greenway. That was a great linebacking trio. Leber may have been the trio leader in big plays. 

Rickey Young is probably higher on my list than most lists of Vikings greats. He was an excellent pass-catching back. His best rushing season was 1979 with 708 yards. His reception totals were ridiculous for a back. 88, 72, and 64 over his first three years in Minnesota. His 88 receptions in 1978 led the league.  

With his recent passing in mind, #82 feels way too low for Joe Kapp. He was such a pivotal player in the Vikings evolution from an expansion team to an annual contender. Kapp was the Cal football coach during my school days on the Berkeley campus. He’s a personal favorite due to his playing and coaching days at Cal and his too-brief playing career with the Vikings. He was never the prettiest quarterback (other than his 7-touchdown day) but he sure was a fun quarterback. 

RIP Jim Brown

Nearly 50 years ago, a 12-year old kid in California sent a $50 money order to a card shop in Pennsylvania for a Jim Brown rookie card. 

It was a a different time. 

The only thing that has truly changed over those 50 years is the price of that card. 

Jim Brown’s only NFL title was the year that I was born. He retired a year later. The best of his nine-year career was before I was here. All of his career was before I was aware. I can not imagine an NFL without him. Blood, Grange, Nevers, Slater, Clark, Hein, Hutson, Hinkle, Turner, Motley, Willis, Bednarik, Lane, Brown!

Jim-f-in-Brown. 

I wish that I still had that damn card. And I wish that the Jim Brown was still running over Sam Huff. 

RIP Jim Brown.

NFL Draft First Round Signing Tracker

The first round of the 2023 NFL Draft was three weeks ago. Here’s an update of the signing status of the players selected in that first round. 

First Round

1.   Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

2.   Houston Texans: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State

3.   Houston Texans (via Ari): Will Anderson Jr., Edge, Alabama

4.   Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

5.   Seattle Seahawks: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois

6.   Arizona Cardinals (via Det): Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State-Signed

7.   Las Vegas Raiders: Tyree Wilson, Edge, Texas Tech-Signed

8.   Atlanta Falcons: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas-Signed

9.   Philadelphia Eagles (via Chi): Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia-Signed

10. Chicago Bears (via Phi): Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee-Signed

11. Tennessee Titans: Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern

12. Detroit Lions (via Ari): Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama

13. Green Bay Packers (via NY Jets): Lukas Van Ness, Edge, Iowa

14. Pittsburgh Steelers (via NE): Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia 

15. New York Jets (via GB): Will McDonald IV, Edge, Iowa State

16. Washington Commanders: Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State

17. New England Patriots (via Pitt): Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

18. Detroit Lions: Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh

20. Seattle Seahawks: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State-Signed 

21. Los Angeles Chargers: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU-Signed

22. Baltimore Ravens: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College

23. Minnesota Vikings: Jordan Addison, WR, USC-Signed

24. New York Giants (via Jags): Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland-Signed

25. Buffalo Bills (via Jags): Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah-Signed

26. Dallas Cowboys: Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan-Signed

27. Jacksonville Jaguars (via Buf): Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma-Signed

28. Cincinnati Bengals: Myles Murphy, Edge, Clemson-Signed

29. New Orleans Saints: Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson-Signed

30. Philadelphia Eagles: Nolan Smith, LB, Georgia

31. Kansas City Chiefs: Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State

***

The pre-2011 draft pick-signing process was such a grind that I’m annually thrilled with the ease at which the players sign their rookie deals. It’s only been three weeks and nearly a half (14/32) of the players selected in the first round are signed. It used to take until mid-July for half of the players selected in the first round to sign. I still remember vividly the dreadful year that Minnesota Vikings first-round pick Bryant McKinnie sat until November before he signed his rookie deal. That was 2002. This year, a few of the teams have already signed their entire draft class. It’s only mi-May. Beautiful. 

Minnesota Vikings Sign First-Round Pick

The Minnesota Vikings selected six players in the 2023 NFL Draft. Last week, they signed four of those six picks.

3. Mekhi Blackmon, CB, USC

4. Jay Ward, DB, LSU

5. Jaquelin Roy, DT, LSU

5. Jaren Hall, QB, BYU

The Vikings didn’t have the salary cap space to sign first round pick Jordan Addison with the rest of his class. Late last week, the Vikings gained the necessary salary cap space to sign Addison and do further football business by trading outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith to the Cleveland Browns. The trade was finalized this week and the Vikings cleared roughly $10 million in salary cap space. Addison signed a day later. 

As the 23rd pick in the draft, Addison is now scheduled to make about $13.7 million over his four-year rookie deal. That includes a signing bonus of nearly $7 million. With a rookie minimum salary of $750,000 and a prorated bonus of about $1.75 million, Addison will count just under $2.5 million against the salary cap. 

Now, Jordan Addison can just worry about football. He should pair nicely with Justin Jefferson, K.J. Osborn, T.J. Hockenson, and the rest of the Vikings pass-catchers. 

Seventh-round pick DeWayne McBride is the lone unsigned draft pick. 

Minnesota Vikings Post- Post-Draft Roster

Since the 2023 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings had their rookie minicamp. The six players selected in the draft and the 15 players signed after the draft took  the field last weekend for the first times as professionals. Also, 19 professional hopefuls tried out for roster spots. The Vikings signed two of those hopefuls. Both have Minnesota roots. Offensive tackle Sam Schlueter played left and right tackle at the University of Minnesota. Zach Ojile played fullback and tight end at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Both are now Vikings. The roster was further tweaked with the long-anticipated trade of outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith. The Vikings traded Smith and 2025 sixth- and seventh- round picks to the Cleveland Browns for a 2024 and 2025 fifth-round picks. This was an odd deal as it was a trade made in 2023 for late-round picks in 2025. Anyway, the Browns got a pass rusher and the Vikings got salary cap space that they desperately needed. An NFL roster is never complete. It’s a very fluid thing. Here’s a post- post-draft, pre-training camp roster of the Minnesota Vikings. 

Minnesota Vikings Roster

Offense

Quarterback (3)

  8 Kirk Cousins

12 Nick Mullens

16 Jaren Hall

Running Back (5)

  4 Dalvin Cook

  2 Alexander Mattison 

26 Kene Nwangwu

32 Ty Chandler

37 DeWayne McBride

Fullback (2)

30 C.J. Ham

41 Zach Ojile

Wide Receiver (11)

18 Justin Jefferson

17 K.J. Osborn

  3 Jordan Addison

  5 Jalen Reager

83 Jalen Nailor

19 Brandon Powell

  9 Trishton Jackson

13 Blake Proehl

89 Thayer Thomas

81 Malik Knowles

85 Cephus Johnson II

Tight End (6)

87 T. J Hockenson

84 Josh Oliver

86 Johnny Mundt

82 Ben Ellefson

34 Nick Muse

49 Ben Sims

Offensive Linemen (14)

71 Christian Darrisaw

72 Ezra Cleveland

56 Garrett Bradbury 

67 Ed Ingram

75 Brian O’Neill

64 Blake Brandel

65 Austin Schlottman

62 Chris Reed

74 Oli Udoh

79 Vederian Lowe

60 Josh Sokol

66 Alan Ali

63 Jacky Chen

61 Steve Shlutter

Defense

Defensive Line (11)

94 Dean Lowry

97 Harrison Phillips

92 James Lynch

95 Khyiris Tonga

93 Jonathan Bullard

96 Ross Blacklock

90 Esezi Otomewo

50 T. J. Smith

52 Sheldon Day

78 Jaquelin Roy

69 Calvin Avery

Outside Linebacker (10)

99 Danielle Hunter

  0 Marcus Davenport

98 D.J.Wonnum

91 Patrick Jones

43 Luiji Vilain

48 Kenny Willekes

51 Benton Whitley

54 Curtis Weaver

57 Andre Carter  II

     Junio Aho

Inside Linebacker (8)

33 Brian Asamoah

58 Jordan Hicks

45 Troy Dye

59 Troy Reeder

47 William Kwenkeu

40 Ivan Pace Jr. 

41 Wilson Huber

39 Abraham Beauplan

Cornerback (10)

  7 Byron Murphy Jr.

21 Akayleb Evans

23 Andrew Booth Jr.

11 Mekhi Blackmon

29 Joejuan Williams

31 Tay Gowan

27 Kalon Barnes

38 Jaylin Williams

36 NaJee Thompson

35 C. J. Coldon 

Safety (6)

22 Harrison Smith

  6 Lewis Cine

24 Camryn Bynum

44 Josh Metellus

20 Jay Ward

25 Theo Jackson

Special Teams

Kicker (2)

  1 Greg Joseph

46 Jack Podlesny

Punter (1)

14 Ryan Wright

Long Snapper (1)

42 Andrew DePaola

Minnesota Vikings Draft Pick Signings

Perhaps lost in the schedule release and the Za’Darius Smith trade, the Minnesota Vikings signed some of their draft picks last week. The Vikings selected only six players in the 2023 NFL Draft. They announced the signing of four of them on Friday. 

3. Mekhi Blackmon, CB, USC

4. Jay Ward, DB, LSU

5. Jaquelin Roy, DT, LSU

5. Jaren Hall, QB, BYU

First-round pick Jordan Addison and seventh-round pick DeWayne McBride are the remaining members of the draft class to sign. 

It’s no surprise that the Za’Darius Smith trade came at about the time of the draft pick signings. The Vikings were so close to the salary cap that they probably needed to trade Smith in order to manage the rookie signings. They definitely need the cap relief to sign first-round pick Jordan Addison. 

Blackmon, Ward, Roy, and Hall got the business side of being rookie in advance of taking the field for the first time as professionals. The Vikings held their rookie mini-camp over the weekend. Addison practiced without a signed rookie contract. McBride didn’t practice at all as he’s rehabbing an injury. 

Blackmon and Ward should compete for immediate playing time. Blackmon will compete with second-year corners Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans for a spot opposite free agent addition Byron Murphy Jr. Ward is a uniquely-skilled defensive back as he can play anywhere in the secondary. That versatility could allow defensive coordinator Brian Flores to use Ward as a chess-piece type player to disguise coverages. Roy should earn a significant role in the defensive line rotation. Hall is a developmental quarterback for Kevin O’Connell and his coaches. 

Next up, getting Jordan Addison and DeWayne McBride signed. 

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 100-91

With about two months to pass until training camp, I decided to rank the 100 Greatest Players in the history of the Minnesota Vikings. My time with the team started in the early 1970s. I’ve watched most of the players on this list. Through highlights, research, reading, and interviews I feel like I’ve watched the players that played before my time with the team. The franchise has had a lot of great players over its 62 years in the NFL. 13 of the players are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A few others should be. A handful more will be. As with any list like this it’s very subjective. It’s how I see the greatest players in Vikings history and the order can change daily, even hourly. It’s a very fluid thing. The following is how I see it now. Hopefully, I can refrain from tinkering with the order during the course of the reveal. The countdown to #1 starts today with the players ranked from 100-91. The reveal will continue over the next several weeks. 

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 100-91

100. Randall Cunningham, QB

  99. Brett Favre, QB

  98. Joe Senser, TE

  97. Cordarrelle Patterson, WR/KR

  96. Leo Lewis, WR/KR

  95. Terry Allen, RB

  94. Mark Mullaney, DE

  93. Bryant McKinnie, OT

  92. Greg Coleman, P

  91. Fred Cox, K

Randall Cunningham and Brett Favre kick off this list. In many ways, their inclusion is more ceremonial than deserving. Each had one great season for the Vikings. Despite arguments from Fran Tarkenton and Daunte Culpepper, the greatest quarterbacking seasons in franchise history were Cunningham in 1998 and Favre in 2009. My goodness, those seasons were a blast. Those seasons have to be recognized and I’m including Cunningham and Favre in my first two spots of the Top 100. If only each had guided the Vikings to that final game. 

One of the great “What if’s” in Vikings history is tight end Joe Senser. He played during the era of Dave Casper, Kellen Winslow, Todd Christensen, and Ozzie Newsome. Senser had 42 catches for 447 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie in 1980. He exploded for 79 catches for 1004 yards, and eight touchdowns in 1981. In only two seasons he had played his way into the orbit of the league’s great tight ends. Then we had the sad strike-shortened season of 1982. Senser missed the 1983 season with a knee injury. He was never the same and his career was over after the 1984 season. If not for that injury, who knows what his career would’ve been. He seemed unstoppable in 1981 and it felt like he was just getting started. Chuck Foreman, Keith Millard, Joey Browner, Terry Allen, Teddy Bridgewater. The Vikings have had several players with promising, even Hall of Fame caliber, careers cut short by injuries. All teams have. Injuries will always be an unfortunate part of football. Joe Senser could’ve been an all-time great. Not just a Vikings all-time great but a league all-time great. For what he did before the knee injury cut short his career, he’s #98.

If Cordarrelle Patterson ever learned to run a route and be where he was supposed to be, his stay in Minnesota would’ve been longer. He’d also be in the top half of this list. He’s one of the greatest kick returners in league history. He was a blast with the ball in his hands. Because Patterson could never be relied upon to do what he was supposed to do on offense, he goes down as one of the more frustrating players in Vikings history. 

Another receiver/kick returner. Leo Lewis is one of the smallest players to ever play for the Vikings. He had a very underrated 11-year career in Minnesota. He was a fine receiver and impactful punt returner. It felt like every game of his that I watched an announcer would mention that Lewis’ father had played for Bud Grant in the CFL. 

It feels like Terry Allen should be higher. He had two 1,000-yard seasons during his four seasons in Minnesota. He missed a season to injury. If he’d done in Minnesota what he continued to do in Washington, he’d be much higher on this list.  

Another frustrating player, probably the most frustrating Vikings player, is Bryant McKinnie. He had the physical gifts to be one of the best offensive tackles to ever play. Instead of dominating, it felt and looked like he simply ambled his way through his assignments. He made one Pro Bowl and he got himself sent home from that one Pro Bowl. Fitting. McKinnie had the talent to be in the Top 20 of this list. Instead, he’s #93. I suppose that’s something. Honestly, he probably should be in the 60-70 range. He gets penalized for being frustratingly disappointing. 

I close the first ten with a couple specialists. It can be tough to place kickers and punters on a list like this. Bobby Walden, Greg Coleman, Mitch Berger, and Chris Kluwe are the best punters in franchise history. Mitch Berger is the only one of the four to reach a Pro Bowl. I went with Coleman for his 10-year Vikings career and because he was a fun punter. Few punters are fun and Coleman was fun. Fred Cox is the Vikings all-time scoring leader. And he helped invent the Nerf football. Both contributions put him among the 100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players. 

NFL Draft First Round Signing Tracker

The first round of the 2023 NFL Draft was over two weeks ago. Here’s an update of the signing status of the players selected in that first round. 

First Round

1.   Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

2.   Houston Texans: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State

3.   Houston Texans (via Ari): Will Anderson Jr., Edge, Alabama

4.   Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

5.   Seattle Seahawks: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois

6.   Arizona Cardinals (via Det): Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State-Signed

7.   Las Vegas Raiders: Tyree Wilson, Edge, Texas Tech-Signed

8.   Atlanta Falcons: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas-Signed

9.   Philadelphia Eagles (via Chi): Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia-Signed

10. Chicago Bears (via Phi): Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee

11. Tennessee Titans: Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern

12. Detroit Lions (via Ari): Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama

13. Green Bay Packers (via NY Jets): Lukas Van Ness, Edge, Iowa

14. Pittsburgh Steelers (via NE): Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia 

15. New York Jets (via GB): Will McDonald IV, Edge, Iowa State

16. Washington Commanders: Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State

17. New England Patriots (via Pitt): Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

18. Detroit Lions: Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh

20. Seattle Seahawks: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State-Signed 

21. Los Angeles Chargers: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU-Signed

22. Baltimore Ravens: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College

23. Minnesota Vikings: Jordan Addison, WR, USC

24. New York Giants (via Jags): Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland

25. Buffalo Bills (via Jags): Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah-Signed

26. Dallas Cowboys: Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan-Signed

27. Jacksonville Jaguars (via Buf): Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma-Signed

28. Cincinnati Bengals: Myles Murphy, Edge, Clemson-Signed

29. New Orleans Saints: Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson

30. Philadelphia Eagles: Nolan Smith, LB, Georgia

31. Kansas City Chiefs: Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State

***

The pre-2011 draft pick-signing process was such a grind that I’m annually thrilled with the ease at which the players sign their rookie deals. It’s only been two weeks and nearly a third of the players selected in the first round are signed. It used to take until mid-July for a third of the players selected in the first round to sign. It still remember vividly the dreadful year that Minnesota Vikings first-round pick Bryant McKinnie sat until November before he signed his rookie deal. That was 2002. This year, a few of the teams have already signed their entire draft class. It’s only mi-May. Beautiful. 

Za’Darius Smith to the Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns again turned to the Minnesota Vikings for front-seven help. Earlier in the offseason, the Browns signed defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson. Yesterday, the Vikings traded edge rusher Za’Darius Smith to the Browns. Browns beat-writer Mary Kay Cabot called it a “blocker-buster” deal for the Browns. I’m not sure that a trade of a player for Day 3 picks is truly a “block-buster.” The DesShaun Watson trade was a blockbuster. This was a trade. In May. Anyway, the trade went something like this:

Vikings get:

2024 fifth-round pick

2025 fifth-round pick

Browns get:

2025 sixth-round pick

2025 seventh-round pick

It’s a strange deal. It’s a strange deal because this is 2023 and three of the picks involved in the deal are in 2025. Whatever. The Vikings gained salary cap space that they desperately needed and Smith got a new team and free agency in 2024. The Browns got a pass rusher to pair with Myles Garrett. It’s a nice pairing. I was thrilled last offseason when Smith was going to play opposite Danielle Hunter. The out-going Smith and the quiet Hunter. I really think that Smith brought a lot out of Hunter. On the field and off. It was a nice pairing for a year. Garrett and the Browns are going to love Za’Darius Smith. He’s motivated. He’s looking for that next contract. Perhaps a final contract. 

Best of luck to the Browns and Smith. 

The Vikings were probably moving forward the moment Smith posted his premature good-bye on social media. They agreed to terms with New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Marcus Davenport during the tampering window. I have to admit. I really liked the potential of a pass rushing trio of Hunter, Smith, and Davenport. With the Vikings salary cap constraints, having Hunter, Smith, and Davenport on the roster wasn’t realistic. 

I was hoping for a fourth.

I believe that the Vikings had earlier plans to deal with Za’Darius Smith and his contract. He and that deal were a great thing in 2022. They weren’t such a great thing in 2023. I believe that Smith mucked everything up with his idiot social media post. He thanked the Vikings, the players, and the fans for his single year in Minnesota. He did that despite being under contract with the Vikings for the next two years. He made it seem like an amicable decision had already been made. That decision hadn’t been made and it was a very strange thing to do. Damn near every player is upset with their contract a year after they signed it. The Vikings defense was better with Smith on it. But he didn’t want to be there. At some point, a team has to move forward with the players that want to be on the team. In reality, the Vikings needed the salary cap space more than they needed Smith. 

Right now, I’d rather see Danielle Hunter and Marcus Davenport on the edge of the Vikings defense. Or Andre Carter II. Or Patrick Jones. Or D.J. Wonnum. Or Luiji Vilain. 

Minnesota Vikings 2023 Schedule

The Minnesota Vikings 2023 Schedule was released yesterday. We’ve known who and where they play since the 2022 season ended. Now, we know when they play. 

Minnesota Vikings 2023 Schedule

Week	Day	Date	Opponent	Time (PT)
1	Sunday	Sept. 10	Tampa Bay Bucccaneers	10:00AM
2	Thursday	Sept. 14	@Philadelphia Eagles	5:15PM
3	Sunday	Sept. 24	Los Angeles Chargers	10:00AM
4	Sunday	Oct. 1	@Carolina Panthers	10:00AM
5	Sunday	Oct. 8	Kansas City Chiefs	1:25PM
6	Sunday	Oct. 15	@Chicago Bears	10:00AM
7	Monday	Oct. 23	San Francisco 49ers	5:15PM
8	Sunday	Oct. 29	@Green Bay Packers	10:00AM
9	Sunday	Nov. 5	@Atlanta Falcons	10:00AM
10	Sunday	Nov. 12	New Orleans Saints	10:00AM
11	Sunday	Nov. 19	@Denver Broncos	5:20PM
12	Monday	Nov. 27	Chicago Bears	5:15PM
13	Sunday	Dec. 3	BYE
14	Sunday	Dec. 10	@Las Vegas Raiders	1:05PM
15	Sunday	Dec. 17	@Cincinnati Bengals	TBD
16	Sunday	Dec. 24	Detroit Lions	10:00AM
17	Sunday	Dec. 31	Green Bay Packers	5:20PM
18	Sunday	Jan. 7	@Detroit Lions	TBD

Some immediate Vikings schedule takeaways:

-the late bye is nice

-division schedule doesn’t start until Week 6

-5 Prime Time games

-a national late window Sunday game against the Chiefs

-the early (Week 2) Thursday game is good

-play the Lions twice over the final three weeks

Playing games on Thursday is stupid. A league that claims to be for player safety isn’t for player safety if they force players to play on three days rest. That’s not enough time for a body to recover from the collisions of an NFL game. At least the Vikings get their forced Thursday game out of the way early. Then they get a “mini-bye.” That early break is nice for a team that doesn’t have their bye until Week 13. 

The season’s only “home stand” comes in Weeks 16 and 17. It’s partly due to the Vikings playing an extra road game this year. Twice, they have consecutive road games. 

If the division comes down to a battle between the Vikings and Lions, the final three weeks should be thrilling. 

The Vikings preseason matchups were also released:

Week 1: @Seattle Seahawks

Week 2: Tennessee Titans

Week 3: Arizona Cardinals