Vikings 53-Man Roster Projection After Preseason Opener: A couple surprise cuts highlight post-Giants game
The Minnesota Vikings have finished their first preseason game, and it’s changed the landscape of the 53-man roster.
The Minnesota Vikings have finished their first preseason game and have gotten their first win in a 13-10 showdown with the New York Giants.
It was the first start for Kyler Murray, who got in for one drive and nine plays, with three of those being passes. We got to see J.J. McCarthy play multiple series, and it didn’t look great, and neither did Carson Wentz.
We are still two weeks away from cutdown day, but each game gives us multiple different avenues to look at when building out the 53-man roster. How will general manager Nolan Teasley build out the roster? Here’s my latest projection.
Note: Players with a single asterisk (*) are 2026 draft picks and players with double asterisks (**) are 2026 undrafted free agents.
Vikings’ 53-man roster projection after first preseason games with UDFAs
Quarterback (3)
IN: Kyler Murray, Carson Wentz, J.J. McCarthy
OUT: Max Brosmer
The skinny: Things are getting interesting with the quarterback position. Murray is the starting quarterback and it’s obvious why, especially after this game. Where the intrigue comes in is with the backup quarterbacks. Right now, neither McCarthy nor Wentz look like they can be trusted to play in the regular season, as they were both very poor on Saturday. A trade could be a serious option.
Running back (4)
IN: Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, Zavier Scott, Max Bredeson*
OUT: Demond Claiborne*, Jermar Jefferson
The skinny: After getting a lot of touches on Saturday, Claiborne looked explosive, but tallied just 34 yards on 12 carries at just 2.8 yards per carry. That explosiveness is something the Vikings have talked a lot about, but is it going to be enough? The next two games will be huge in determining who gets the RB3 job.
Wide receiver (5)
IN: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings, Tai Felton, Myles Price
OUT: Dontae Fleming, Dillon Bell**, Jeshaun Jones, Terrill Davis, Michael Briscoe**, Trayvon Rudolph**, Marcus Sanders Jr.**.
The skinny: All offseason, I’ve had six wide receivers on the roster. After the first game, I’ve evolved my opinion. Felton and Price have played so far and above everyone else in the room, and with other battles having more impressive players.
I say all that and acknowledge that Bell, Fleming, and Jones can still elevate to making the roster.
Tight end (4)
IN: T.J. Hockenson, Josh Oliver, Gavin Bartholomew, Ben Yurosek
OUT: Bryson Nesbit, Marshall Lang
The skinny: After only having three tight ends projected to make the roster for weeks, we have four of them. Yurosek and Bartholomew are both worth keeping, and for different reasons. Bartholomew is more of a vertical threat while Yurosek is more well-rounded. They are both worth developing with Hockenson set to be a free agent after the season.
Offensive line (9)
IN: Christian Darrisaw (LT), Donovan Jackson (LG), Blake Brandel (C), Will Fries (RG), Brian O’Neill (RT), Ryan Van Demark, Michael Jurgens, Joe Huber, Caleb Tiernan**
OUT: Walter Rouse, Gavin Gerhardt*, Vershon Lee, Henry Byrd, Tomas Rimac**, Delby Lemieux**, Tristan Leigh**
The skinny: The first of the nine draft picks that doesn’t make the roster is the last selection. Being at No. 235, it’s a small investment where the Vikings don’t have to keep them for salary cap purposes. Ultimately, Gerhardt ends up making the practice squad. I did come away concerned with Tiernan, who had a rough debut outing on Saturday.
Defensive line (5)
IN: Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, Elijah Williams, Caleb Banks*, Domonique Orange*, Isaiahh Loudermilk
OUT: Taki Taimani, Eric Johnson, Smith Vilbert**, Jahvaree Ritzie
The skinny: This could end up being a really good defensive line group for the Vikings. Banks had an up-and-down debut and that will be consistent throughout his rookie season due to his unique size and length. This group’s biggest question is Louermilk vs. Johnson, and the former gets the roster spot.
Linebacker (4)
IN: Blake Cashman, Eric Wilson, Ivan Pace Jr., Jake Golday*, Jamal Adams (IR)
OUT: Jacob Roberts, Josh Ross, Keli Lawson**, Bangally Kamara**
The skinny: Initially, I thought Pace could be on the trade block, especially after seeing how Adams played on the opening couple of drives. Unfortunately, he suffered a non-contact injury that could cost him the season. That injury makes Pace that much more valuable.
Keep an eye out for Roberts, who got an interception in the second half. He was a good player for the Calgary Stampeders last season.
EDGE/Outside Linebacker (6)
IN: Dallas Turner, Andrew Van Ginkel, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Bo Richter, Tyler Batty, TBD
OUT: Chaz Chambliss, Arden Walker**, Cam’Ron Stewart**
The skinny: Edge rusher has a major depth issue, and it’s been amplified after Ingram-Dawkins struggled on Saturday. He has a lot of positives about him, but the lack of nuance with setting the edge and his lack of ability to bend the arc leaves the Vikings in a disastrous place if either Dallas Turner or Andrew Van Ginkel get hurt. They have to find a way to get a veteran in the building.
Cornerback (4)
IN: Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, James Pierre, Charles Demmings*
OUT: Dwight McGlothern, Zemaiah Vaughn, Da’Veawn Armstead**, Marcus Allen**, Tyreek Chappell**, Kahlef Haillassie
The skinny: Demmings has done a great job throughout training camp, and that translated to the preseason. He didn’t have the same kind of production as he did during practice, but he certainly looked the part on the field. Vaughn is going is going to be really interesting to watch, as he bulked up during the offseason.
Safety (5)
IN: Josh Metellus, Jay Ward, Tavierre Thomas, Jakobe Thomas*, Jacob Thomas**
OUT: Theo Jackson
The skinny: Losing Adams is a tough one, but we had an interesting riser over the last few weeks. Jacob Thomas has been good during camp, and ends up making the roster. He ends up taking Jackson’s spot, who could end up on the chopping or trade block.
Specialists (3)
IN: Will Reichard (K), Johnny Hekker, Andrew DePaola (LS)
OUT: Brett Thorson (P)**
The skinny: All summer, I’ve thought that Thorson would win the punting job. However, I’ve switched my thinking and have Hekker winning the job. The main reason is simple: Thorson will count as the international pathway player if he’s on the practice squad, and he can take over the job next season. Overall, I think hangtime could end up being the top aspect of the competition.
Final Word
How Teasley puts together this roster is going to be very interesting on a multitude of levels. There are some fascinating position battles to navigate, and how the practice squad will be structured leaves a lot of questions. We are still two weeks away from cut down day, and the questions won’t stop until then.
