{"id":312582,"date":"2025-08-24T01:39:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-24T01:39:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/312582\/"},"modified":"2025-08-24T01:39:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-24T01:39:13","slug":"vikings-post-preseason-roster-thoughts-daily-norseman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/312582\/","title":{"rendered":"Vikings Post-Preseason Roster Thoughts | Daily Norseman"},"content":{"rendered":"

Now that the Minnesota Vikings have completed their preseason and roster cuts could be announced anytime between now and Tuesday, which is the cutdown deadline. I did a 53-man roster projection<\/a> a week ago and while a few things have changed since then (Harrison Phillips trade means Elijah Williams most likely makes the roster, Ryan Wright looks to have won the holder job and therefore punter job too), the initial roster seems pretty well set. And with that the strengths and weaknesses of the Vikings roster are becoming more apparent. Here are some thoughts on the Vikings roster and how it may evolve going forward.<\/p>\n

UDFAs Continue to be Important<\/p>\n

As many as seven rookie undrafted free agents could make the roster – Max Brosmer, Ben Yurosek, Joe Huber, Myles Price, Elijah Williams, Zemaiah Vaughn, and Oscar Chapman all have a shot, although I\u2019d be surprised if more than five made the roster. But that\u2019s still a pretty good haul for a UDFA class- an area the Vikings front office has been adept at leveraging the past few years. And while most are names we likely won\u2019t hear much during the regular season, they fill needed depth and special teams roles at minimum cost with potential to develop into larger roles down the line.<\/p>\n

Some may think it\u2019s jumping the gun a bit to consider Brosmer as QB2, and I\u2019ve been in that camp. He\u2019s an undrafted rookie after all and it would be better to have an experienced veteran as the primary backup according to conventional wisdom. That may be true, but this is really a choice between Brosmer and Sam Howell. Sure, Howell has a season\u2019s worth of experience from 2023, of a kind, but is he really the best option off the bench, all things considered? My sense is Brosmer is the better option.<\/p>\n

Brosmer has shown the poise, processing, decision making, anticipation, and accuracy during the preseason to be QB2 over Howell. He may be a rookie, and undrafted, but he passes the eye test at this point more than Howell. To be honest I was surprised Kevin O\u2019Connell didn\u2019t play Howell against the Titans because he could use more reps. Brosmer hasn\u2019t been perfect out there- he\u2019s had some turnover worthy plays- but he\u2019s steadily improved since the beginning of training camp, shows command of the offense, and is able to not only move the offense, but also make some impressive plays in the process. QB2 isn\u2019t a role too big for him.<\/p>\n

Howell on the other hand has a short history that looks a lot like Nick Mullens, in style and substance. Some big time throws, but plenty of interceptions too. His decision making declines under pressure. I haven\u2019t seen that with Brosmer. It\u2019s true you never know how Brosmer may react if his number is called in a regular season game, but everything we\u2019ve seen so far suggests it won\u2019t be too big for him. Kevin O\u2019Connell has praised his preparation and football IQ, and that along with his on field performance seems worthy of the QB2 spot over Howell.<\/p>\n

Note: the Vikings are working out Carson Wentz as I write this, which might be a reflection on Howell.<\/p>\n

Cornerback Depth is a Problem<\/p>\n

There haven\u2019t been any cornerbacks for the Vikings in training camp or preseason that have looked especially impressive overall. Certainly there is more justifiable confidence in Byron Murphy and Isaiah Rodgers, but beyond that there is only the unproven and not much to generate confidence at this point.<\/p>\n

Jeff Okudah is CB3 and hasn\u2019t panned out for three teams so far. There is a reason for that. He\u2019s basically a press-man one trick pony and beyond that can and has been exposed. The issue is that he\u2019s slow to react in zone or off coverage and doesn\u2019t have the speed to keep up with faster receivers. What his role will be exactly remains to be seen, but it seems doubtful he will always play press man coverage on every snap. Okudah has had some positive buzz in training camp due to his physicality, and he was playing with some confidence early in training camp, but whether he shows improvement during the regular season remains to be seen.<\/p>\n

And beyond Okudah, there really isn\u2019t much to inspire confidence. Mekhi Blackmon and Dwight McGlothern look worse than they did last year or two years ago in the case of Blackmon. Zemaiah Vaughn has generated some buzz based on some good plays, but has been remarkably inconsistent. One play he comes up to make an aggressive tackle, another play he slips and then misses a tackle that results in a long touchdown. One play he clicks and closes well in zone, another he gives a big cushion giving away a first down reception. He\u2019s also a rookie. The rest of the depth chart has been entirely unremarkable, although it\u2019s true Reddy Steward has played well in limited third-string snaps mostly at the end of preseason games.<\/p>\n

The fact that Blackmon and McGlothern seem to have regressed at this point compared to their rookie years is disappointing and the primary reason depth at cornerback is probably the top roster concern. It\u2019s unclear who may be available that could help improve depth at this point, or if Blackmon and\/or McGlothern will improve, but it would seem this is a position the Vikings will be eyeing closely for possible upgrades.<\/p>\n

Defensive Front is Going to be Another Kind of Problem<\/p>\n

This may be the best and deepest defensive front in the league and the best since the Purple People Eaters. At both the defensive interior and edge rusher positions, the Vikings have high end starters and quality depth. This could really be a special year for this group under Brian Flores and will be the biggest problem for every team the Vikings play this season.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve dominated the Vikings starting offensive line (which is one of the best- but have been missing a couple starters) and the Patriots\u2019 even more so. Jonathan Greenard has been on another level in training camp, and honestly I think the coaching staff may have benched Javon Hargrave just so the offense could function reasonably well at points during training camp. The Vikings did not play their first team defense in any preseason games.<\/p>\n

In their last full season, both Jonathan Greenard and Javon Hargrave were ranked ninth in the league in pass rush win rate, and Jonathan Allen was ranked 17th. Add to that a roving Andrew Van Ginkel, an improved Dallas Turner, a blitzing Ivan Pace (4th highest PFF graded off-ball LB pass rusher last season) or Blake Cashman (3rd most QB pressures among off-ball LBs last season), and there is a possibility for a historically dominant defensive front for the Vikings this season.<\/p>\n

The Vikings also have Jalen Redmond first off the bench among defensive tackles and Gabriel Murphy the same among edge rushers. Both have impressed during training camp and preseason. There is no shortage of quality depth beyond those two as well. That should allow for a healthy rotation without much drop off in performance. But the Vikings are not lacking for talent up front and Brian Flores knows how to use it.<\/p>\n

Some Questions on Offensive Line, but Looks to be the Best the Vikings have Fielded in Many Years<\/p>\n

On the other side of the trench, there are a few questions, namely when starting left tackle Christian Darrisaw will be ready to go, how well center Ryan Kelly will hold up health-wise over the course of the season, and how rookie Donovan Jackson will perform, but there are encouraging signs. Darrisaw took some reps in the first joint practice and appears to be on a slow ramp up that seems likely to culminate in time for week one, but that is not certain. Donovan Jackson has shown the ability to learn on the job in training camp and gradual improvement. He looks to have a high floor and ceiling so far as he prepares for his first NFL start. Will Fries looks to bring added toughness to the group while Brian O\u2019Neill has been a steady high-end performer for years.<\/p>\n

Depth is more of a question mark, particularly at center, and I would not be surprised if the Vikings added a more proven veteran should a suitable candidate become available. Michael Jurgens has shown improvement over last year, but has never started an NFL game and seems likely to struggle against starting level talent. The Vikings have Justin Skule and Blake Brandel as primary veteran backups at tackle and guard, respectively. Skule filled in well at Tampa Bay last season but had so,e rough snaps against Jonathan Greenard in training camp. Brandel has shown he can be a serviceable guard, but with a low ceiling. It was interesting that neither Brandel or Henry Byrd played in the Titans game, while Joe Huber played every snap. Byrd and Brandel have both played snaps at guard and tackle, with similar PFF grades. Byrd graded highest of the three. Brandel had only 17 snaps in preseason. I\u2019m guessing two of the three make the roster and I would think Brandel would be one of them, but it wouldn\u2019t be a total shock if he wasn\u2019t. Both Byrd and Huber have played well- Byrd was the highest PFF pass blocker on the team during preseason and Huber was the highest graded run blocker. And they were both among the highest graded offensive players on the team in preseason. If the Vikings cut Brandel, they\u2019d save $2 million in cap space, and if they were able to trade him, they\u2019d save $3.2 million.<\/p>\n

It would seem that Myles Price and Ryan Wright won the competition for punt returner and punter\/holder, but will that be much of an upgrade? I don\u2019t know who the primary kick returner will be, but that could be Price too and maybe Tai Felton or a running back. Price looks like an upgrade at punt returner over Brandon Powell last season, but his double-clutch on a fair catch against the Titans probably still gives the coaching staff some doubt about ball security. That doubt is probably even more so with Felton, who fumbled a kickoff return. Price also had a near mistake on a kickoff return yesterday when he almost returned a touchback in the end zone – which now provides starting field position at the 35. These may turn out to be nothing more than preseason hiccups, or they could be early signs of issues that could linger.<\/p>\n

Ryan Wright appears to have won his competition over Oscar Chapman by virtue of being a more reliable holder, but that would seem to kill the prospect of having a better punter and improving field position on that score. Hopefully the Vikings will be able to get Oscar Chapman to the practice squad, where he won\u2019t count against the limit by virtue of being an international pathway player from Australia, and perhaps in time could prove to be an upgrade over Wright as a punter if he\u2019s able to be more consistent as a holder in practice.<\/p>\n

The other question is whether the special teams units will be better this season. The Vikings lost a couple of their better core special teamers last season with the loss of Trent Sherfield and Brian Asamoah II, but added Eric Wilson and Tavierre Thomas, who were both good core special teamers last season. The Vikings struggled at the gunner and vice\/jammer positions most of last season, but I\u2019m guessing they may go with some combination Tavierre Thomas, Jeff Okudah, Dwight McGlothern, and Tai Felton assuming they all make the roster. McGlothern played vice later last season and in preseason, but the others would be new for the Vikings. How good these outside position players are on punt returns\/coverage has a big influence on the success of the play and therefore field position on punts and punt returns.<\/p>\n

Wide Receiver Depth- Short Term Problem<\/p>\n

The 3-game suspension of Jordan Addison creates a short term wide receiver depth problem for the Vikings as Jalen Nailor has a hand injury that might keep him out week one (I\u2019m optimistic it won\u2019t) and we haven\u2019t seen much from the other receivers on the depth chart that suggests they can step in and play well. Nailor himself hasn\u2019t been particularly impressive in training camp so far, and Tai Felton hasn\u2019t been running with the 2s as he is still learning the scheme. It may be that by Monday night in Chicago these two are ready to serve as WR2 and WR3, but we\u2019ll see. The Vikings are actively looking to add to their wide receiver room, but what deal ultimately takes place remains to be seen. The Vikings reportedly have interest in Adam Thielen, but reports are that the Panthers\u2019 asking price is too high- which makes sense from their standpoint as Thielen has a lot value for them still. Beyond that who knows, and it could be that they add a receiver released on cutdown day. My suspicion is the Vikings may go with more 12 personnel this season and particularly during Addison\u2019s absence, which would mean fewer reps for a WR3, but we\u2019ll see. After Addison returns the Vikings should be in good shape. It would be an added bonus if Tai Felton is able to grow into a WR3 this season, but that\u2019s another question mark at the moment.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think we\u2019ve seen enough of McCarthy yet to make any sweeping predictions about his regular season performance. He\u2019s generally showed poise and command of the offense and that he can make all the throws, along with good processing and decision making skills. He\u2019s worked on his ability to layer throws, which has improved. Arm strength has never been an issue except maybe too much velocity on some throws. The most we\u2019ve seen from him this year was in joint practices with the Patriots, and he had an okay day and one of his best days in those two practices.<\/p>\n

It seems to me that at worst McCarthy has a high floor as a quarterback and at best could realize a high ceiling. This isn\u2019t Christian Ponder. But he\u2019s going to depend on his teammates and coaches in the early going as he gets used to the NFL and finds his groove. I don\u2019t see extended issues for him, but I\u2019m sure he\u2019ll have a learning curve understanding all the nuances of NFL defenses. Jordan Addison missing the first three games is likely to be a setback, regardless of who replaces him, as I\u2019m sure opposing defenses will focus on shutting down Jefferson and making McCarthy and lesser receivers beat them. That will be the challenge early on and a known issue for Kevin O\u2019Connell. That may mean more of a short passing attack like we\u2019ve seen in joint practices and preseason early on, but we\u2019ll see. He has the ability to take what the defense gives him, whatever that may be, and that bodes well for the season ahead, as does his confidence and supporting cast.<\/p>\n

Follow me on X\/Blusky @wludford<\/p>\n

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