Vikings football is back! 

After another long offseason, the Vikes were back on the field on Thursday night in Seattle. The Vikings fell to the Seahawks 24-13, but nobody really cares about the end result in the preseason anyway. 

The performances and development of individual players are more important than the end result. Luckily for the Vikes, a few players impressed even in defeat. 

Edge Luiji Vilain

Vilain collected the lone sack for the Viking defense against Seattle. The former UDFA also added two tackles as a rotational edge defender. 

Vilain had already been impressing this summer, so a strong performance last night will only help his cause. In a shock to some, Vilain was listed ahead of standout UDFA Andre Carter II on the team's initial depth chart. It's doubtful that will change after the first preseason game. 

Vilain will likely need at least one more standout performance this preseason to secure a spot on the roster. It's hard to start much better than this, however.

RB Ty Chandler

Chandler must’ve seen the first unofficial depth chart and had some thoughts. After being listed behind Kene Nwangwu, Chandler ended up seeing the majority of RB snaps. Alexander Mattison and Nwangwu did not play. 

Chandler made the most of his opportunity. He only averaged 3.7 yards per attempt, but that was still more than DeWayne McBride or Abram Smith. Perhaps most encouraging was Chandler's contribution in the passing game. Chandler collected four catches for 29 yards, tying Jalen Reagor for the team lead in receptions. 

If Chandler can continue to be a threat in the passing attack, he could secure his roster spot. Neither Nwangwu nor Mattison are elite pass-catchers, so Chandler could provide a different element. 

WR Jalen Reagor

Reagor was one of the players that I said needed to perform in the first preseason game. He did just that, leading the team with four catches for 55 yards. 

Judging by the way Reagor was used, it appears the team is focusing on Reagor as a receiver rather than a returner. DeWayne McBride, Jacob Copeland, and Thayer Thomas split returning duties while Reagor focused on being a receiver. 

This was a great first performance for Reagor to build on. The bottom of the WR depth chart is competitive, but Reagor firmly put himself in the lead after one week. 

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Featured image via © Steven Bisig | 2023 Aug 10