The Minnesota Vikings cut their roster down to 53 players Tuesday.
More movement could occur with waivers over the next 24 hours. And the Vikings roster still has holes, especially at running back and kick returner.
In the meantime, here is a thought on all 53 players who made the cut:
Then & Now: Training Camp pic.twitter.com/uZXX4Pv7dJ
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 25, 2024
Offense
QB Sam Darnold: The X-factor. Can he limit his turnovers? Can the Vikings’ offensive staff lean into his athletic traits? For better or worse, it feels like Minnesota’s 2024 season hinges on his play.
QB Nick Mullens: You know what you have. Watching him play the position is like watching a dirt biker try to jump over a mountain. You’d better buckle up.
QB Jaren Hall: He improved over the spring and fall, though he is injury-prone and doesn’t have the strongest arm. But there’s something to his maturity.
RB Aaron Jones: More people should be talking about him nationally. He is motivated and healthy. Watch out.
RB Ty Chandler: He’ll carry the ball more than you think. The Vikings brass has long thought he was a stud. Spending time around Jones should spur further growth.
FB C.J. Ham: J.J. McCarthy called him “Papa Ham.” The nickname will stick. On third downs, pass rushers will come and be met by Papa.
WR Justin Jefferson: The straw that stirs the drink.
WR Jordan Addison: Without tight end T.J. Hockenson for at least the first four weeks, the Vikings passing game desperately needs him.
WR Jalen Nailor: Healthy at long last.
WR Brandon Powell: Last week, Jefferson said Powell is “like a little pitbull.” He’s feisty and has some bite to him, good qualities for a punt returner and undersized backup receiver. He might also be tabbed to return kicks, depending on what they do to replace Kene Nwangwu.
WR Trishton Jackson: Brings good vibes both on and off the field. He had one of the best training camps of all of the 53 rostered players. Jefferson loves him.
WR Trent Sherfield Sr.: Had the Vikings cut Sherfield, plenty of teams would have been lurking. He adds a run-blocking presence at receiver that the Vikings do not otherwise have.
Trent Sherfield Sr. stood out in training camp and could play an important role in the Minnesota run game. (Scott Galvin / USA Today)
TE Johnny Mundt: Have you found anybody yet who loves you like coach Kevin O’Connell loves Mundt?
TE Josh Oliver: Single-handedly dictates a defense’s personnel package. When he’s on the field, opponents play with bigger bodies. The Vikings might lean into this early on in the 2024 season to run effectively and set Darnold up for optimal situations.
TE Nick Muse: Last year, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips lovingly called Muse “weird.” He shows up constantly as a pass catcher. Trusted depth.
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LT Christian Darrisaw: Wealthier than he was a year ago. Still ascending.
LG Blake Brandel: Secured the starting spot at left guard but remains a question mark. He’s larger than Dalton Risner, which could help if the team leans further into vertical runs. But how reliable is he in pass protection?
C Garrett Bradbury: He has improved each year, but there’s more on his plate this season. If this offense and Darnold exceed expectations, he’ll deserve some credit.
RG Ed Ingram: The leash might not be long. It’s year No. 3 now, and Ingram played more snaps than most starters in the preseason. Darnold is going to need time; Ingram must provide it.
RT Brian O’Neill: Up there with Ham and Harrison Smith among the most respected players on the team.
T David Quessenberry: He’s the guy if the Vikings need a swing tackle.
G Dan Feeney: Suffered an injury a couple of weeks ago and hasn’t practiced much since. As long as he’s healthy, he’s the preferred backup guard until Risner returns from injured reserve.
T Walter Rouse: In camp, he once had to stand in front of the offensive linemen and speak to them like he was a coach giving a pregame speech. The sixth-rounder should have time to develop behind Quessenberry.
G Michael Jurgens: Struggled in the preseason, but the Vikings are committed to developing the seventh-rounder.
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Defense
DL Harrison Phillips: Controls the front and is a captain. If there’s a question about him, it’s whether the Vikings will extend him. He’s in a contract year.
DL Jonathan Bullard: A locker room favorite who does the dirty work against the run. Won’t ever post major pass-rushing numbers.
DL Jerry Tillery: When the Vikings use five-down fronts, Tillery will start alongside Phillips and Bullard.
DL Levi Drake Rodriguez: His hair flows lusciously. After plays, he wags his finger like Dikembe Mutombo. One of his former coaches alternates between calling him Levi and Drake. Why? It’s chaotic and unexpected, he says, just like Rodriguez.
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DL Taki Taimani: An undrafted run stuffer from Oregon who unexpectedly popped in camp and supplanted Jaquelin Roy.
DL Jalen Redmond: Started a fight a few weeks ago in practice, but has a level of juice that defensive coordinator Brian Flores loves.
Edge Jonathan Greenard: Quickly became the leader of the edge-rusher room and created a stretching routine for the whole group. He’s poised for a big season.
Edge Andrew Van Ginkel: So soft-spoken you’d think he was a high school math teacher. He’s not. He’s a gnarly pass rusher who can cover. In the same they-should-be-talking-about-him-more vein as Aaron Jones.
Edge Dallas Turner: There were flashes during camp, specifically in Cleveland during joint practices. He is a freak athletically, and it’ll be fascinating to see when and how Flores uses him.
Edge Patrick Jones II: He quietly had a solid camp. Flores mixed him in as an interior pass rusher, which makes sense given his size. Expect him to participate in some wacky third-down packages featuring Van Ginkel, Greenard, Turner and even Ward.
Edge Jihad Ward: He is listed at 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds but looks more massive in person and wears a hoodie when he plays. He’s not someone you’d want to line up against.
LB Ivan Pace Jr.: I’m calling him “The Menace” this year. He is like the little kid who is always pestering, running around and driving his parents crazy. (His parents are the opposing offense in this analogy, to be clear.)
LB Blake Cashman: Injured his finger a couple of weeks ago in Cleveland, but he should be back and playing alongside Pace with the starting unit in Week 1 in New York.
LB Kamu Grugier-Hill: If an injury occurs at off-ball linebacker, he’s the replacement.
LB Brian Asamoah II: Kept mostly for special teams purposes. Asamoah has played 61 percent of the Vikings’ special teams snaps in each of the last two years. Unless the Vikings can find a more intriguing option on the waiver wire, he’ll be back in that role.
CB Stephon Gilmore: Savvy and probably still more spry and able to play man coverage than Patrick Peterson was in 2022.
CB Shaq Griffin: Recently recovered from a hamstring injury, but similar to Gilmore in that he’ll win mostly with experience. The acumen in the cornerback room is as good as it has been in some time.
CB Byron Murphy Jr.: This is a contract year, and Murphy is still only 26. He has a lot to prove, but first things first: He has to stay healthy.
CB Fabian Moreau: Signed in the middle of camp and immediately impressed coaches. He’s long and adds nice depth outside ahead of Akayleb Evans on the depth chart.
CB Dwight McGlothern: The Vikings’ undrafted free agent success continues. McGlothern, nicknamed “Nudie,” is a developmental cornerback with ball skills and size, giving the room upside besides the injured Mekhi Blackmon.
CB Akayleb Evans: Didn’t play a single special teams snap last year, but that’s likely where the Vikings need him most right now. Depending on what happens with the waiver wire, he could end up being one of the team’s primary gunners — a major hole without NaJee Thompson.
S Harrison Smith: The Script wrote a song titled, “Hall of Fame.” Mentioning that felt relevant here.
S Cam Bynum: One of the best cornerback selections the Vikings have made in the last decade, and he’s no longer a cornerback.
S Josh Metellus: Does he play safety, linebacker, corner or none of the above? Who knows? But it works.
S Theo Jackson: Reliable if needed in a pinch due to injury. Was drafted in the sixth round in 2022, while Lewis Cine went in the first. Just another lesson in how the draft can be a crapshoot.
S Jay Ward: Versatile and well schooled in special teams play. Might not have elite upside, but a player profile you need at the back end of your roster.
Special teams
LS Andrew DePaola: Ten years from now, DePaola could still be doing this, snapping beautifully, going to Pro Bowls and selling bagels in Maryland. He’s 37.
K Will Reichard: His longtime coaches call him “the baby-faced assassin.” He looks 12 years old and bangs kicks from 57 yards out. He’s a rookie but doesn’t carry himself like one.
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P Ryan Wright: Already feels like he’s on thin ice. Must be dialed in Week 1 in New York.
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(Top photo: Ron Chenoy / USA Today)
