5 Vikings to Watch: Preseason Week 3 vs. the Cardinals

Cameron Smith – LB

This game is “do or die” for Cameron Smith. He hasn’t flashed much this preseason, it seems like he’s fallen below the bubble, and he is a possible candidate to get cut.

Kentrell Brothers has outplayed him so far and Smith has to have a big game this Saturday to gain some positive ground heading into the fourth preseason game where he should see loads of action.

The Vikings used a fifth-round pick on this guy and he hasn’t done much to prove he was worth that high of a choice as he only had one tackle last week against the Seattle Seahawks.

What stuck out like a sore thumb was the whiff he had on Paxton Lynch. He had the Seahawks quarterback dead to rights and absolutely missed. One play does not make or break someone’s career, but that was a play Smith had to make and he didn’t come close.

What will make matters tougher for Smith this Saturday is that he may not see the field until some point late in the third quarter.

Minnesota’s starters will likely play the first half so Smith, being third on the depth chart, will probably get limited reps. He will need to make every single snap count or he could be a rare fifth-round pick who doesn’t make the team as a rookie.