Concluding the second preseason game for the Minnesota Vikings, final 53-man roster debates are heating up. Players are putting their best foot forward to earn a spot on the roster. With only half the preseason completed, things are almost assured to change, but for now, here is how the Minnesota Vikings 53-Man roster should look on the offensive side.
Minnesota Vikings 53-Man Roster Projection: Offense
Quarterback (3)
Sam Bradford, Case Keenum, Taylor Heinicke
Every quarterback currently on the 90-man roster will make the team. Teddy Bridgewater is expected to start the year on the Physically Unable To Perform (PUP) list, so he will not count as a roster spot until he is activated. Expect Keenum to beat out Heinicke for the backup job behind Bradford.
Running Back (3)
Dalvin Cook, Latavius Murray, Jerick McKinnon
All three of these players are a lock to make the final roster. Despite Cook earning the starting role, Murray and McKinnon should still see a significant amount of work in the offense. Bishop Sankey was a likely practice squad candidate but tore his ACL in the first preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.
Fullback (1)
Pat Shurmur and Mike Zimmer will eventually decide to keep a fullback on the final roster and Ham is the only listed player at the position. Ham was switched to fullback this off-season by the coaches. If Ham eventually ends up getting cut, expect offensive sets with a tight end in the backfield.
Wide Receiver (5)
Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Laquon Treadwell, Jarius Wright, Stacy Coley
Don’t worry, Michael Floyd will join the active 53-man roster following the conclusion of his four game suspension. Treadwell had a good training camp, watch for his play once he returns from his hamstring injury. Stacy Coley will end up beating out Rodney Adams and Cayleb Jones for the final receiver spot on the team. Adam’s best chance to make the team is through kick returning, but has struggled throughout the first few games of the preseason.
Tight End (3)
Kyle Rudolph, David Morgan, Bucky Hodges
Rudolph and Morgan are locks to make the team. 2017 sixth-round pick, Hodges, is in a battle with Kyle Carter and Nick Truesdell for the third roster spot. Hodges possesses great athleticism for his size and can be a weapon for the offense. The team will likely put a fourth tight end on the practice squad.
Offensive Line (10)
Riley Reiff, Alex Boone, Nick Easton, Joe Berger, Mike Remmers, Rashod Hill, Pat Elflein, Danny Isidora, Jeremiah Sirles, Willie Beavers
The offensive line is one of the hardest positions to predict. The team will end up keeping an extra lineman due to their recent injury history. After two preseason games, nobody knows the starting five on the line. Reiff, Boone, and Remmers are locked into a starting job, while Easton, Berger, and Elflein are fighting for the final two starting spots. The players here not locked into a roster spot are Isidora, Sirles, and Beavers. Keep an eye on T.J. Clemmings to make a push for one of those roster spots.
Be sure to check out the Vikings 53-man roster projection for defense and special teams.
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