5 surprise players who could make the Vikings’ 2019 roster

Jake Browning – QB

Obviously, there is no question about who the starter is going to be at quarterback for the Vikings this season. It is Kirk Cousins‘ gig and that’s that.

However, there is a lot of intrigue around who will be his backup and who could be third on the depth chart if Minnesota ends up keeping three signal-callers for 2019.

Behind Cousins is Sean Mannion, Kyle Sloter, and this undrafted rookie from Washington, Jake Browning.

Browning was extremely productive in college, throwing for over 12,000 career yards and nearly 100 touchdowns. He also has good size, standing 6-foot-2 and weighing in at 211 pounds.

He isn’t a super athlete, but he can make throws on the run and fit the ball into tight spots. The Vikings gave this guy more guaranteed money after the draft than the usual undrafted free agent, so they clearly wanted him and must see something in his potential.

Browning is battling against guys this year who don’t really have that much more NFL experience than he does.

Mannion has the most of the three. He’s played in three regular season games and started one. That start went very poorly though.

Sloter has had some moments during the last two preseasons, but he has never played a meaningful game in the NFL. So Browning isn’t that far behind when it comes to experience.

Browning still faces a major uphill battle to unseat one of these guys. He will have to shine in every single opportunity he gets.

If he can wow the offensive coaching staff routinely and keep things close between him and Mannion or Sloter, there is a chance the Vikings could elect to keep the younger and cheaper option to develop for the future.