The Minnesota Vikings are returning to a U.S. Bank Stadium with a capacity crowd for the first time since Dec. 29th, 2019, and there is plenty to look forward to despite this only being a preseason game. The Vikings are gearing up to face the Denver Broncos on Saturday in their first of three preseason games, and there are still several positions open for competition. How these players perform in-game could allow them to stake a claim for making a roster or pushing up the depth charts.
Here are some areas fans should be paying extra attention to:
The Wide Receivers Not Named Jefferson and Thielen
Last season Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson put the NFL on notice. The veteran from Minnesota State and the rookie from LSU formed one of the best pass-catching duos in the NFL, but behind these two dynamic receivers is a lot of question marks. With both Jefferson and Thielen suffering minor injuries in training camp, this could be the perfect time for some of these lesser-known receivers to stake their claim for a roster spot.
- Although the Vikings added Dede Westbrook late in the offseason, he is still recovering from ACL surgery last October.
- K.J. Osborn, last year’s fifth-round pick out of Miami, has impressed so far in his second training camp. He could be in line for a lot of snaps in this first preseason game.
- Last year’s UDFA pickup Dan Chisena could also be looking to prove that he is more than just a special teamer as he battles for some time at wideout.
- Chad Beebe looks to recapture the form he had in the 2018 preseason, where he excited the fan base before multiple injuries and sub-par play turned some of them against him.
- This year’s UDFA pickups Blake Prohel and Whop Philyor also look to make the roster this year and prove that they should have been selected in the draft.
Wyatt Davis and Christian Darrisaw’s playtime
It isn’t news to anyone that the Vikings offensive line has been a weak link over the last couple of years. They have primarily struggled in pass protection and keeping Kirk Cousins upright for a good part of last season. To remedy these problems, the Vikings drafted Christian Darrisaw in the first round and Wyatt Davis in the third. Both of these players were excellent pass blockers in college and could figure to be mainstays on the offensive line in the future.
It should be interesting to see how much playing time they get since they are both working their way back from injuries. Darrisaw figures to be the starting left tackle this season, but Wyatt Davis will have some steep competition from Oli Udoh, who, by all accounts, has impressed with his play at right guard. While Davis will be given every opportunity to win the starting job, we’ll see how the Vikings ease him back into things and where on the initial depth chart he lands.
Kicking Competition
After cutting Dan Bailey, the Vikings have had a bit of uncertainty at the kicker position. Currently, they have former Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans kicker Greg Joseph and rookie Riley Patterson. Joseph is 91.5% on attempted extra points and 85.72% on field goals over his career with a long of 51 yards. While Joseph is lacking the range the Vikings want, he is consistent within his range.
The Vikings also picked up Patterson, a UDFA from the University of Memphis. Patterson faltered last year, only hitting 68.2% of his field goals and struggling to hit kicks that were farther than 40 yards. However, if he can recapture his 2019 form when he made 92% of his field goals and 98.5% of his extra points, he could challenge Joseph for a spot on the roster.
Vikings fans should keep a close eye on which kicker trots out in certain situations and how they perform.
Punt Returners
Keeping on the theme of special teams, another thing that fans should look at during this game is the punt-return squad. Last season, punt returns were one of the areas where they struggled most, as both Osborn and Beebe were not able to cleanly field punts and flip field position.
But under new special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken, there appears to be an open competition for the job of punt returner. Some of the names that we could see include rookies Kene Nwangwu and Ihmir Smith-Marsette, who will be battling Dede Westbrook, Osborn, and Beebe as they all look to win this position battle. It will be interesting to see if any of them can show an ability to flip the field and make things easier for the offense.
Third Linebacker
Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks have been fixtures in the Vikings’ defense since they arrived in Minnesota. While they are both sure-fire starters, there appears to be a competition for who will claim the weak-side linebacker position. They brought in Nick Vigil from the Los Angeles Chargers this offseason and added quarterback-turned-linebacker Chazz Surratt to the mix through the draft.
While these newcomers could challenge for a starting role, last season’s fourth-round pick Troy Dye looks to improve from a rocky rookie season, and former fifth-round pick Cam Smith returns to the playing field after heart surgery last season. It will be interesting to see who wins the final linebacker spot and if the team favors the experience that Vigil brings or the upside someone like Surratt or Dye could provide.
