The Viking Age
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Minnesota Vikings: Early two deep 2016 depth chart

By Adam Carlson

Aug 9, 2015; Canton, OH, USA; Minnesota Vikings helmet on the field during the 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 9, 2015; Canton, OH, USA; Minnesota Vikings helmet on the field during the 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 18, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings kicker Blair Walsh (3) kicks a 45 yard field goal against the Kansas City Chiefs as punter Jeff Locke (18) holds the ball in the third quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings win 16-10. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 18, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings kicker Blair Walsh (3) kicks a 45 yard field goal against the Kansas City Chiefs as punter Jeff Locke (18) holds the ball in the third quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings win 16-10. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports /

Special Teams

Strangely enough, the special teams of the Minnesota Vikings might be the most controversial of all the positional groups. Each player in the group seemed to have issues and struggles at times, but hopefully these individuals can bounce back in 2016.

Kicker

  1. Blair Walsh

Missing the big kick in the playoffs will be all the fans remember, but he struggled through a lot of last year, missing kicks and extra points. He’s been working hard to become the reliable kicker who broke franchise kicking records in Minnesota during his rookie year.

Punter/Holder

  1. Jeff Locke

Fans clamored for Minnesota to bring in competition for Locke, who appeared to struggle with both holds and punts during the 2015 season. Locke will enter the year with a lot to prove to the team after only ranking 30th in net yards per punt last year.

Long Snapper

  1. Kevin McDermott

While he was only off the mark on a handful of snaps during the season, there is still room for improvement at long snapper. Despite that, there isn’t currently any real competition for him in training camp, so he will likely be the starter.

Kick Returner

  1. Cordarrelle Patterson
  2. Marcus Sherels

Patterson tends to shine as a kick returner, but he had some fumbling issues last year that need correction. He should return to the team and be just as explosive as before with the ball in his hands. Sherels will be ready in case Patterson in unable to take kicks.

Punt Returner

  1. Marcus Sherels
  2. Stefon Diggs

Sherels may not see a lot of time at cornerback, but he’s become an important part of the Vikings special teams unit. His ability on punt returns is where he gets the most attention, but he is also a solid tackler in other phases of special teams. Diggs is explosive enough to be a backup, but shouldn’t be used in this capacity if he is named a starting wide receiver.

Next: Vikings game-by-game 2016 season preview

Do you have any thoughts or opinions about this two-deep early depth chart for the 2016 Minnesota Vikings? Where there any players missed or positions that you feel someone else will be in the two-deep chart? Leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.

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