Vikings PFF grades against Eagles highlighted by elite QB play and surging DT
The preseason is over for the Minnesota Vikings and they are celebrating a 3-0 preseason after a 26-3 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Over the course of the game, we saw multiple players make a case to be included on the initial 53-man roster. Some of them secured a roster spot while others made the […]
The preseason is over for the Minnesota Vikings and they are celebrating a 3-0 preseason after a 26-3 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Over the course of the game, we saw multiple players make a case to be included on the initial 53-man roster. Some of them secured a roster spot while others made the decision for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the front office much more difficult.
After the win over the Eagles, there were multiple Vikings who stated their case in a positive way.
QB Jaren Hall
Hall was the biggest benefactor of playing on Saturday afternoon. He got the start and played into the third quarter. His last play was a borderline cheap shot which prompted head coach Kevin O'Connell to take him out of the game and get Matt Corral a chance to show what he can do.
Hall had one bad throw on Saturday, but it wasn't a bad decision. He sailed a dig route but hit the hole perfectly, which is a good thing to see. Hall led the Vikings offense in PFF grade with an 85.2, including an 81.0 passing grade. He thrived throughout the game and seemingly earned a roster spot.
C Michael Jurgens
Jurgens was highly regarded when the Vikings selected him in the seventh round of April's NFL Draft. Adofo-Mensah told him that he sees Jurgens being a starter for a long time. After the game against the Browns, Jurgens was a disaster, posting a pass-blocking grade of 10.8.
Against the Eagles, Jurgens rebounded in a huge way. His overall PFF grade was 68.9 and had an excellent run-blocking grade of 73.3. The pass-blocking grade wasn't great at 52.4, but he only allowed one pressure and it was a hurry. This performance across 43 snaps might have earned him a day-one roster spot.
DT Jalen Redmond
The defensive tackle group might be the hardest to parse out. We've been talking about Levi Drake Rodriguez since the beginning of training camp, but he's been far from the only one to show out.
One of the biggest surprises during the preseason has been Jalen Redmond. After going undrafted out of Oklahoma, Redmond played with the Arlington Renegades in the UFL this spring before signing with the Vikings. Redmond hasn't been the flashiest player with others getting sacks, but he's doing the dirty work to spring his teammates.
Redmond posted an astounding 90.1 PFF grade with a 91.1 run defense grade. He didn't register a single pressure but forced a key fumble and was an ass-kicker in the trenches. He's a wild card to potentially make the roster or at the very least, get on the practice squad.
CB Dwight McGlothern
The cornerback position has been an unfortunate turnstile for many reasons across the last few months. Injuries have been brutal for the Vikings and has forced them to shift course completely in how they are constructing their room. Luckily, the undrafted free agent process landed them a talented player.
The Vikings only gave McGlothern $20k guaranteed as a UDFA despite being ranked in the top 190 on the consensus board. He's thrived throughout training camp and the preseason and did so on Saturday. He posted an overall grade of 80.1 with a coverage grade of 76.8. He also got a pressure where he nearly got a sack on Tanner McKee. McGlothern might not make the rotation but he could be a major contributor in the future of the Vikings.
Minnesota Vikings final 53-man roster prediction: Who gets to keep their playbook?
Our final prediction on who makes the initial 53-man Vikings roster
