Could the Vikings possibly keep four running backs this season?

Backup running backs Mike Boone and Roc Thomas have performed very well for the Minnesota Vikings through two weeks of the preseason.

Everyone is very aware that Dalvin Cook and Latavius Murray will open the 2018 season as the top two running backs for the Minnesota Vikings. Who comes after Cook and Murray on the depth chart is where the Vikings are still trying to figure things out.

Currently, Mack Brown, Mike Boone, and Roc Thomas are the other rushers competing for Minnesota’s third running back job. Boone and Thomas are both rookies while Brown has been in the NFL since 2016.

So far this preseason, the two Vikings rookies have stood out more than the guy with actual experience in the league. Heading into their third exhibition game on Friday, both Boone and Thomas appear to be in the lead for the team’s third running back job over Brown.

Minnesota Vikings

On Saturday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Boone led all Minnesota players in rushing as he racked up 91 yards and one touchdown on 13 carries. After his monster game last week in Denver, Thomas finished with 37 total yards on seven touches against the Jaguars.

Through two weeks of the 2018 preseason, Boone leads the Vikings in rushing yards (113) and Thomas leads the team in receiving yards (114). Brown has only played in one of Minnesota’s two preseason matchups this year and he has carried the ball 11 times for 34 yards.

As of right now, the Vikings’ third running back job seems to be between Boone and Thomas. Either would be a good choice for Minnesota, but is there any shot that the team could keep both rookies on their final 2018 roster?

Well, with Cook coming off of a torn ACL last October, it may actually be a smart idea for the Vikings to enter the regular season with four running backs on their depth chart.

Yes, Cook has been very impressive during training camp this year and many who have seen him practice say that it doesn’t even look like he got hurt last season. But his durability for 2018 is still in question, so keeping an extra running back on the roster wouldn’t be the worst idea for the Vikings to have.

Minnesota has taken a number of precautions in their effort to ease Cook back onto the field. Keeping a fourth running back to open the regular season would just be another way for the Vikings to cover their tracks in case Cook suffers a setback.