5 Vikings to Watch: Preseason Week 1 vs. the Saints

Dillon Mitchell – WR

Like I stated earlier, it’s the first preseason game of the season and guys at the bottom of the depth chart are going to get long looks. Dillon Mitchell is one guy who needs to take advantage of his reps, and really show the team what he can do.

Mitchell was the first of two seventh-round rookie wide receivers the Vikings took in the 2019 Draft. He was the one most were excited about as he had decent size at 6-foot-2 and he ran a sub 4.4 40-yard dash. But Mitchell has fallen behind fellow rookie Olabisi Johnson and he has done little to impress the coaching staff.

Mitchell has had a case of the dropsies in practice. What makes the hands issue worse was that he didn’t exactly have the most reliable mitts at Oregon either. This is clearly a chronic problem with this guy and is something he’ll need to work on.

Mitchell needs to make a big play or two in the game against the Saints. He will likely see guys like former Vikings cornerback Marcus Sherels lining up opposite him or someone named Justin Hardee.

So the competition isn’t exactly top-shelf. Even though he’s behind a bit on the depth chart now, a couple of big gainers will do wonders for his chances of not just climbing the depth chart but ultimately landing a job on this team whether it be on the active roster or the practice squad.