Vikings

Vikings Release Unofficial Depth Chart With Few Surprises

Photo Credit: Thad Chesley

The Minnesota Vikings have released their unofficial depth chart in preparation for their preseason game against Buffalo this coming Thursday. It’s posted as a list and therefore a bit difficult to read, so we’ve converted it into two charts — one for the offense and one for the defense.

Technically, Stacey Coley is co-listed with R.J. Shelton and Bucky Hodges is listed with Kyle Carter, but for the purposes of this depth chart, we went with who was getting more reps in practice.

Latavius Murray is unlisted on the depth chart, as is Teddy Bridgewater. Both are on the Physically Unable to Perform list, so that makes sense.

They also haven’t listed Moritz Böhringer, which I assume is an oversight but also isn’t a good sign for the German receiver. He hasn’t been cut but he clearly isn’t someone who is a high priority.

Case Keenum and Taylor Heinicke have been switching off work between the first and second team and we should expect they do that well into the preseason. Heinicke has recently taken a good portion of the snaps with the second team in situational drills, and it will be enlightening to see how that translates into ordering during gameplay.

Dalvin Cook has now been moved up to be the starter, and Jerick McKinnon has moved down. They started in the reverse order with McKinnon taking more snaps, but with how electric Cook looks and McKinnon’s injury in camp, it was difficult not to give Cook the nod in a more unofficially official capacity.

The offensive line depth chart is unchanged from the one we posted at the beginning of training camp, and reflects how they’ve distributed practice reps. The only notable decision is at center, where they have, for now, installed Easton as the starting center. Like with Heinicke and Keenum, this could be veteran deference in an ongoing competition that will play itself out during the preseason.

The biggest surprise to me was the receiver chart, I didn’t expect Cayleb Jones to be listed ahead of Rodney Adams or for Isaac Fruechte to be listed ahead of Coley — and placing Coley behind Adams on the chart.

While I think Jones has been having a better camp than either Adams or Coley, Zimmer singled out both Adams and Coley as the best young receivers in camp. That aside, Coley has been the most consistent of the three. Adams has been unremarkable in a lot of ways, and his snap count relative to Coley reflects that; every day, Coley has taken more snaps with the twos while Adams has taken snaps with the threes.

The Vikings may just chalk this up into how they think of the differences between the first receiver position and the second, and Coley may genuinely be ahead of Adams if it comes to a choice between the two.

But, as we’ll see below, Coley is also getting less special teams consideration, and so it will be difficult to see him making the roster without explicitly outperforming Adams as a kick returner.

Now the defense:

The Vikings did not list a slot corner spot, so we listed the two corners who have taken the most slot snaps in camp. Jabari Price and Marcus Sherels would also be in the mix if they make the team, but both have been playing on the outside in camp.

Once again, there is technically a tie between Emmanuel Lamur and Edmond Robinson at the weakside linebacker spot. We went with who was getting more snaps in first team drills.

More surprising is the fact that Ben Gedeon is not only listed behind Kentrell Brothers — who’s been injured — at middle linebacker, but that he’s not listed at the weakside linebacker spot where he’s been getting some play and doing very well. We don’t know if he’s genuinely in the competition to start there just yet.

The defensive line depth chart is unchanged, and the only real competition there was occurring at under tackle/three-technique. For now, Tom Johnson is starting there with Datone Jones backing him up. If Johnson struggles in the run game and Jones demonstrates all-around prowess, expect that to change. As it is, the Vikings offensive line has been having more trouble with Johnson than Jones, so this decision makes sense.

The other depth chart spots are unsurprising. Roberson has technically been getting much more snaps with the twos than Sherels (while Mackensie Alexander and Terence Newman have almost exclusively been working with the ones), but given their performances and the likelihood that the Vikings really just want to get Sherels focused on returning, the fact that he’s been given the nod over Roberson at that corner spot is unsurprising.

At kick and punt returner, Sherels is the starting player. Adams is second on both lists, despite the constant difficulties he’s had catching punts in camp. Coley is unlisted as a kick returner but is the third punt returner. Instead, McKinnon is listed as the third kick returner. After that, Fruechte is listed as the fourth kick and punt returner.

Hopefully, we’ll see enough kickoff returns to get a good understanding of who should play there.

The veterans are listed ahead of the younger players at both punter and kicker, but they will be trading off in the preseason.


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