5 Vikings to Watch: Preseason Week 4 vs. the Bills

Dakota Dozier – OL

The Vikings signed Dakota Dozier as a guard this offseason, but he may end up making the team as a tackle. Minnesota has been experimenting with Dozier at tackle and he’s actually played pretty well.

That is nothing but good news for the big man, as the guard depth on the Vikings’ roster is much more daunting and a tougher nut to crack than the group of tackles they currently have.

Dozier would give Minnesota some depth flexibility. His ability to play both guard and tackle will likely elevate him above the Storm Nortons and Nate Wozniaks of the world.

With Aviante Collins hurt once again, Dozier’s path to being the fourth or fifth tackle for the Vikings this season becomes that much easier.

While Dozier has looked good when Minnesota has plugged him in at tackle, he simply needs more solid game tape. That’s why Thursday’s game against the Bills is so important for him.

If Dozier can, once again, play at a high level, he’s likely going to land himself a job on the Vikings’ 2019 roster. Minnesota probably just needs to see a good performance out of him one more time before giving him a yes.

If he struggles against the Bills’ offensive front, the Vikings may decide the tackle experiment was a failure and that Dozier is strictly a guard. If he gets labeled as only a guard, he would probably fall too far down the depth chart to remain employed with Minnesota this season.