Vikings Depth Chart 2024 - To Be Updated
Aug 23, 2024 9:01:31 GMT -6
andhesloose28 and dougpaschal like this
Post by Purple Pain on Aug 23, 2024 9:01:31 GMT -6
Because we need to keep LDR, McGlothern and maybe a few others at the expense of bigger names who got outplayed imo.
Where it is probably going to get fuzzy is Carter, Murphy, Bo, and Taki Taimani. We are likely not going to be able to keep all of them on the 53 and I dont think whoever gets cut is making the practice team. My instinct is to keep Taki for sure since we have more depth on the edge, and then you pick your poison with the rest hopefully keep 3/4. I would assume Patrick Jones is making the team we've heard some flashes, but id like to give Carter another year at least this kid was always going to be a project he seems to be improving. Its going to suck I dont wanna see Bo, Murphy or Taki go.
Alec Lewis - Vikings bubble watch: Who’ll make the 53-man roster, who won’t and who needs a big finish?
Looking good (but not a lock)
DT Levi Drake Rodriguez
You cannot find defensive tackles with wiggle on the street. Rodriguez is an incredible example of a scout’s vision, and credit to defensive coordinator Brian Flores for giving him an opportunity. Rodriguez may have played at Texas A&M-Commerce, but his relentless pursuit of the ball and ability to use his hands have spurred him to success both on the practice field and in preseason games. The Vikings don’t have many developmental interior defenders with pass-rush juice other than Rodriguez, which should keep the seventh-rounder around.
CB Dwight McGlothern
Dane Brugler, The Athletic’s draft expert, projected McGlothern as a fifth- or sixth-round pick. It’s easy to see why. McGlothern constantly finds the ball. The LSU and Arkansas product does not have the longest wingspan or fastest 40-yard dash time, but he has a knack and a drive. Similar to the defensive tackle spot, the Vikings need budding options to develop. McGlothern is a nice canvas to dream on.
WR Trishton Jackson
Has any Vikings player produced a better showing in training camp than Jackson? His route running is crisp. He’s always in the right spots. He has been immersed in the system for years. Jackson, 26, is also one of Justin Jefferson’s best friends on the team. Reliable depth should not be taken for granted.
WR Trent Sherfield Sr.
Enthusiastic run-blocking wide receivers are a favorite of this offensive staff, and Sherfield qualifies as such. He has played in 95 career games. If the Vikings chose to release him, another team would quickly snatch him up. Keeping him and Jackson would mean six rostered receivers, but given Jordan Addison’s injury and Jalen Nailor’s injury history, Sherfield’s inclusion makes too much sense.
Edge Jihad Ward
If you have listened to Flores talk, you know how much he likes versatility. Ward is listed as an edge rusher, but he also can play inside, especially on pass-rushing downs. He is also proven, having recorded five sacks last year with the New York Giants.
CB/S Jay Ward
There are a couple of factors working in Ward’s favor. First, he was a fourth-round pick in 2023, and the Vikings are not likely to be ready to move off that type of investment. The other notable aspect is his role on special teams. Ward played 69 percent of Minnesota’s special teams snaps last season, and while he was flagged in a couple of key moments, his presence is important for a unit that already waived the aforementioned Thompson.
Others: T Walter Rouse, edge Patrick Jones II, DT Jonah Williams
Up in the air
S Lewis Cine
Rarely do you enter an NFL game wanting to watch a safety more than any other position, but that could be the case Saturday. Last weekend’s showing against the Cleveland Browns was Cine’s best as a professional. Can he repeat it? And if so, will it alter the Vikings’ view or up another team’s trade offer? Georgia head coach Kirby Smart once told Brugler, “When you design a safety, (Cine)’s got all the qualities … he’s really been a student of the game.” Cine is only 24, so this ultimately might come down to a test of hope: How long can you hold on for a player who has yet to make a meaningful impact?
CB Duke Shelley
The Vikings players love Shelley; in 2022, he swatted a pass away from Dawson Knox in Buffalo and has been a folk hero ever since. His size, though, is still a limiting factor. Flores has mostly used him at the nickel corner spot, and while the Vikings don’t have much depth there behind Byron Murphy Jr., Flores has shown a willingness to use safeties in the role. If he’s comfortable doing that again in 2024, and if the Vikings prefer to stash youngsters on the roster, Shelley could find himself on the wrong side of the cut line.
Edge Gabriel Murphy
After the first couple of weeks of training camp, Murphy was trending toward making the roster. Everyone in the know felt it. Flores and head coach Kevin O’Connell both raved about him. Then he suffered an undisclosed injury and has mostly been incognito. Minnesota has yet to place Murphy on injured reserve, which would allow the team to keep him without him counting against the 53-man limit. Given the upside, that route makes sense.
G Dalton Risner
A few weeks ago, Risner suffered a back injury. He has not practiced since nor has he been present. The Vikings added him as reliable depth on the interior of the offensive line, but you have to be available to offer insurance. Like Murphy, he, too, might be a candidate for injured reserve — teams have two spots for players who don’t count against the 53-man, and tight end T.J. Hockenson will likely occupy one of them. A player like Murphy, who is still young and developing, might warrant the nod more than a backup guard, even if Blake Brandel and Ed Ingram are not stalwarts.
C/G Michael Jurgens
Through two preseason games, 103 NFL offensive linemen have played at least 70 snaps. Only five have a worse pass-blocking grade than Jurgens, according to Pro Football Focus. The Vikings prioritized Jurgens in the draft. He was an elite run blocker at Wake Forest, and, to his credit, he has blocked effectively in the run game this summer. But pass protection has been an entirely different story. He has spent far too much time on the ground or getting pushed back into the backfield. Team brass might want to keep him given the draft capital the Vikings spent, but they might be able to stash him on the practice squad.
DT Taki Taimani
Last year, fifth-round pick Jaquelin Roy occupied the backup nose tackle spot behind Harrison Phillips. Roy is in the mix again this year, and it’s always possible Flores tries to cover his bases at the spot with versatility. That said, if the Vikings opt for a more creative route, they could keep a player like Taimani who has been stout against the run throughout the preseason. He arrived as an undrafted signee from Oregon, but Flores often says draft position doesn’t matter once a player enters the building. Taimani could be a sneaky 53-man option.
Others: TE Robert Tonyan, QB Jaren Hall, S/CB Bobby McCain, DT Jalen Redmond, C/G Dan Feeney, G Tyrese Robinson, DT Jaquelin Roy, edge Bo Richter, TE N’Keal Harry
DT Levi Drake Rodriguez
You cannot find defensive tackles with wiggle on the street. Rodriguez is an incredible example of a scout’s vision, and credit to defensive coordinator Brian Flores for giving him an opportunity. Rodriguez may have played at Texas A&M-Commerce, but his relentless pursuit of the ball and ability to use his hands have spurred him to success both on the practice field and in preseason games. The Vikings don’t have many developmental interior defenders with pass-rush juice other than Rodriguez, which should keep the seventh-rounder around.
CB Dwight McGlothern
Dane Brugler, The Athletic’s draft expert, projected McGlothern as a fifth- or sixth-round pick. It’s easy to see why. McGlothern constantly finds the ball. The LSU and Arkansas product does not have the longest wingspan or fastest 40-yard dash time, but he has a knack and a drive. Similar to the defensive tackle spot, the Vikings need budding options to develop. McGlothern is a nice canvas to dream on.
WR Trishton Jackson
Has any Vikings player produced a better showing in training camp than Jackson? His route running is crisp. He’s always in the right spots. He has been immersed in the system for years. Jackson, 26, is also one of Justin Jefferson’s best friends on the team. Reliable depth should not be taken for granted.
WR Trent Sherfield Sr.
Enthusiastic run-blocking wide receivers are a favorite of this offensive staff, and Sherfield qualifies as such. He has played in 95 career games. If the Vikings chose to release him, another team would quickly snatch him up. Keeping him and Jackson would mean six rostered receivers, but given Jordan Addison’s injury and Jalen Nailor’s injury history, Sherfield’s inclusion makes too much sense.
Edge Jihad Ward
If you have listened to Flores talk, you know how much he likes versatility. Ward is listed as an edge rusher, but he also can play inside, especially on pass-rushing downs. He is also proven, having recorded five sacks last year with the New York Giants.
CB/S Jay Ward
There are a couple of factors working in Ward’s favor. First, he was a fourth-round pick in 2023, and the Vikings are not likely to be ready to move off that type of investment. The other notable aspect is his role on special teams. Ward played 69 percent of Minnesota’s special teams snaps last season, and while he was flagged in a couple of key moments, his presence is important for a unit that already waived the aforementioned Thompson.
Others: T Walter Rouse, edge Patrick Jones II, DT Jonah Williams
Up in the air
S Lewis Cine
Rarely do you enter an NFL game wanting to watch a safety more than any other position, but that could be the case Saturday. Last weekend’s showing against the Cleveland Browns was Cine’s best as a professional. Can he repeat it? And if so, will it alter the Vikings’ view or up another team’s trade offer? Georgia head coach Kirby Smart once told Brugler, “When you design a safety, (Cine)’s got all the qualities … he’s really been a student of the game.” Cine is only 24, so this ultimately might come down to a test of hope: How long can you hold on for a player who has yet to make a meaningful impact?
CB Duke Shelley
The Vikings players love Shelley; in 2022, he swatted a pass away from Dawson Knox in Buffalo and has been a folk hero ever since. His size, though, is still a limiting factor. Flores has mostly used him at the nickel corner spot, and while the Vikings don’t have much depth there behind Byron Murphy Jr., Flores has shown a willingness to use safeties in the role. If he’s comfortable doing that again in 2024, and if the Vikings prefer to stash youngsters on the roster, Shelley could find himself on the wrong side of the cut line.
Edge Gabriel Murphy
After the first couple of weeks of training camp, Murphy was trending toward making the roster. Everyone in the know felt it. Flores and head coach Kevin O’Connell both raved about him. Then he suffered an undisclosed injury and has mostly been incognito. Minnesota has yet to place Murphy on injured reserve, which would allow the team to keep him without him counting against the 53-man limit. Given the upside, that route makes sense.
G Dalton Risner
A few weeks ago, Risner suffered a back injury. He has not practiced since nor has he been present. The Vikings added him as reliable depth on the interior of the offensive line, but you have to be available to offer insurance. Like Murphy, he, too, might be a candidate for injured reserve — teams have two spots for players who don’t count against the 53-man, and tight end T.J. Hockenson will likely occupy one of them. A player like Murphy, who is still young and developing, might warrant the nod more than a backup guard, even if Blake Brandel and Ed Ingram are not stalwarts.
C/G Michael Jurgens
Through two preseason games, 103 NFL offensive linemen have played at least 70 snaps. Only five have a worse pass-blocking grade than Jurgens, according to Pro Football Focus. The Vikings prioritized Jurgens in the draft. He was an elite run blocker at Wake Forest, and, to his credit, he has blocked effectively in the run game this summer. But pass protection has been an entirely different story. He has spent far too much time on the ground or getting pushed back into the backfield. Team brass might want to keep him given the draft capital the Vikings spent, but they might be able to stash him on the practice squad.
DT Taki Taimani
Last year, fifth-round pick Jaquelin Roy occupied the backup nose tackle spot behind Harrison Phillips. Roy is in the mix again this year, and it’s always possible Flores tries to cover his bases at the spot with versatility. That said, if the Vikings opt for a more creative route, they could keep a player like Taimani who has been stout against the run throughout the preseason. He arrived as an undrafted signee from Oregon, but Flores often says draft position doesn’t matter once a player enters the building. Taimani could be a sneaky 53-man option.
Others: TE Robert Tonyan, QB Jaren Hall, S/CB Bobby McCain, DT Jalen Redmond, C/G Dan Feeney, G Tyrese Robinson, DT Jaquelin Roy, edge Bo Richter, TE N’Keal Harry
... and neither is this Chris guy.