The Minnesota Vikings return to the football field this Saturday for their preseason opener against the Raiders. During the past two preseasons, head coach Kevin O’Connell has opted not to play the starters because they had an established quarterback in Kirk Cousins. This season, however, the situation has changed. With two new quarterbacks, Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy, both needing in-game reps in a new system. According to the Athletic’s Alec Lewis, during Thursday’s press conference, O’Connell confirmed that Sam Darnold will play on Saturday.
Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell says QB Sam Darnold will start Saturday against the Raiders.
— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) August 8, 2024
While getting Darnold playing time in the first preseason game is important for his success this season, some other starters won’t be playing. According to Kevin Seifert, O’Connell said Justin Jefferson and Harrison Smith likely won’t play.
Justin Jefferson and Harrison Smith likely won’t play Saturday, per Kevin O’Connell.
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) August 8, 2024
With Jefferson and Smith absent on Saturday, other players will have the opportunity to take reps with the starting units. This will offer a glimpse into how the team might adjust if either of these key players gets injured during the season. Overall, the Vikings have a lot of exciting talent on their team right now, so it’s a bit difficult to know who to watch during a preseason game. Here are three players to keep an eye on in the preseason opener against the Raiders.
3 Vikings To Watch In Preseason Opener
1. Jalen Nailor, WR
With Jefferson sitting out on Saturday, both Brandon Powell and Jalen Nailor will be on the field at the same time with the starting offense. For Nailor, this is an opportunity to prove that his consistent success in camp can carry over to in-game success. Although Nailor has impressed in past camps, he has struggled to translate that into effective play during games.
On Saturday, Nailor has the opportunity to change that. Even though preseason defenses are typically vanilla coverages, Nailor can show the Vikings he is able to beat a starting defensive back in an in-game rep. Doing this will give the Vikings a reason to believe he can be a successful wide receiver three during the regular season. A strong performance on Saturday could be the first step in building Nailor’s case for a breakout season.
2. Levi Drake Rodriguez, DT
The Vikings selected defensive tackle Levi Drake Rodriguez in the seventh round of this year’s draft. Typically, a late-round pick like Rodriguez wouldn’t be a player to watch closely. However, during training camp, Rodriguez has been making a name for himself. According to Will Ragatz of Sports Illustrated, Rodriguez mas mixed in multiple times with the ones.
While defensive coordinator Brian Flores has been mixing all the depth at defensive tackle in with the ones, the fact that Rodriguez continues to get reps with the ones is noteworthy. Flores could have easily had Rodriguez mix in with the ones one day and then never again. However, each time Drake Rodriguez gets reps with the ones, he shows his high motor. Having a high motor is important because it allows him to continually wear down the opponent even if he’s not getting in the backfield each play. If Rodriguez has a good first preseason game and keeps building off of that, he can make the team as a fourth or fifth defensive tackle.
3. Theo Jackson, S
Safety Theo Jackson was a sixth-round pick of the Tennesse Titans during the 2022 draft. Although Jackson didn’t make the Titans 53-man roster in 2022, he was part of their practice squad. However, during the season, the Vikings signed Jackson off the Titans practice squad because they needed safety depth.
Over his two seasons with the Vikings, Jackson has been a core special teams player, logging a total of 535 snaps. Although he saw limited action at safety in 2022 with only 18 snaps, last season, he played 126 snaps, recording 25 tackles and one interception.
Jackson has continued his ascension at safety during training camp this year by consistently staying in tight coverage and even coming away with a few interceptions. Despite his strong camp performance, Jackson currently sits as the fourth safety on the depth chart behind three established starters. However, a strong preseason debut and continued success throughout the preseason could compel the Vikings to carry four safeties on the roster.
Main Image: Eric Hartline – USA Today Sports
