The Minnesota Vikings are just days away from finalizing their initial 53-man roster, and this year’s roster bubble is more compelling than what we’ve seen in years past. The biggest reason is simple: Minnesota loaded up on draft picks after three years of relatively thin classes, and those rookies are almost all going to make the team. The only draft pick not currently on my projected 53-man roster is center Gavin Gerhardt, selected 235th overall.

What makes this bubble fascinating is the variety of reasons players find themselves on it. Some are young players stuck at loaded positions. Others are veterans who might get beat out. Let’s parse through the most notable names.

RB Zavier Scott

The running back position is the most interesting bubble battle. Zavier Scott, a practice squad signing in 2024 out of Maine, was an afterthought at the time, as he didn’t get into a game that season. Scott signed a futures deal and stuck with the team through all of 2025, including that impressive wheel route touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin.

Scott is a former wide receiver, which makes him a more intriguing option at the position. His roster spot is in doubt because the Vikings traded a sixth-round pick to move up and select Demond Claiborne. Scott’s path to the roster is straightforward: show that he’s a great special teamer who can handle the little things like pass blocking. Claiborne is not known as a special teams contributor or a reliable pass blocker. If Scott can prove he’s better in those areas, he has a chance to make the roster over Claiborne or alongside him. When you don’t have that explosive element, you have to hang your hat on the supplementary skills, and it hasn’t manifested that way so far.

WR Dillon Bell 

Dillon Bell, the undrafted free agent out of Georgia, earned a ton of praise across the board for the good elements in his game. He had the unfortunate reality of playing wide receiver at Georgia, where he was never the featured option. He also shared time with Brock Bowers, who was the primary target during Bell’s freshman and sophomore years. Bell played extensively throughout his college career and never had a season below 20 receptions, but Georgia’s passing game was never the focal point of the offense.

Bell thrived in rookie minicamp, OTAs, and mandatory minicamp. There was a ton of hype heading into training camp, where he’s been fine but hasn’t stood out. If he’s going to make it, he needs to show something on special teams in the final preseason game and produce with the ball in his hands. The Vikings have tried to get him involved in unique ways through screens, jet sweeps, and deeper routes across the first two preseason games, and that usage should continue.

The Vikings will likely keep only five wide receivers this year, especially with the emergence of Tai Felton and Myles Price. Keeping a sixth isn’t out of the question, and Bell would probably be that guy, battling Dontae Fleming for the spot.

ILB Ivan Pace Jr.

Ivan Pace Jr. has outperformed expectations during training camp. His blitzing ability and leverage at 5-10 and 237 pounds are well-documented, but lateral movement and coverage have never been strengths. Credit where credit is due: he looks more fluid and comfortable in space, which is massive for taking the next step.

The problem is the linebacker room looks deep. Keeping guys like Bengally Kamara and Jacob Roberts at the rookie minimum versus Pace at $3.52 million per year creates a difficult financial equation. This could mirror what happened with Armon Watts in 2022, when Watts was cut during Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s first training camp because of salary rather than performance. It’s a non-zero proposition that Pace ends up getting cut for the same reason.

ILB Jacob Roberts

Roberts himself is a unique case. He was an undrafted free agent out of Wake Forest who signed with the Calgary Stampeders for the 2025 CFL season, then signed with the Vikings in January. Despite the uphill battle, Roberts has been impressive in the preseason. He showcased a good baseline of skills and grabbed an interception off Brandon Allen against the Giants. Against the Ravens, he showed great gap control, discipline, strong tackling ability, and plus movement in coverage. Even if he deserves a spot, roster math may prevent it. He’ll likely get time in the final preseason game to make his case.

S Theo Jackson

Jackson got hurt in joint practices against the Ravens and missed the second preseason game. Combined with the emergence of third-round pick Jakobe Thomas, plus Jay Ward, Jacob Thomas, and Josh Metellus, the safety room is crowded.

Jackson has not been good enough. After serving as the fourth starting safety in Minnesota’s three-safety unit in 2024, he hasn’t lived up to his end of the bargain. He has $2 million in guarantees on the salary cap from his signing bonus and $1.2 million in guarantees this year. A trade would alleviate that $1.2 million and leave minimal dead cap. Jackson’s struggles in run fits and angles are all over the tape. He’s fine playing deep middle, but those players are a dime a dozen. The Vikings need a versatile, Swiss Army knife type of safety, and Jackson has not been that.