5 veteran Vikings players who may not make the final roster in 2020

Jalyn Holmes – DT

The Minnesota Vikings have been waiting for the light to come on for Jalyn Holmes for three years now, and may just realize that the bulb is broken after this preseason. Holmes was primarily a college defensive end who the Vikings moved inside to be a penetrating three-technique defensive tackle. In two seasons with the team, he has struggled to accumulate playing time and has registered seven total tackles, two tackles for a loss, and one sack.

Holmes will have someone new to compete with this season and that is rookie James Lynch. He’s coming off a 13.5 sack senior season and the Vikings have high hopes that he can be that interior disruptor they’re lacking.

Unless he totally looks lost on the field, Lynch is a lock to make the team. Holmes will have to beat out Hercules Mata’afa and then hope that the team cuts Shamar Stephen for cap reasons, and hold on to him instead. There’s no way he’s getting playing time over Armon Watts or Jaleel Johnson who are both players who can play both nose and the three-technique position.

Holmes’ chances of getting cut looks much higher at this point of the season than him making the team. He’ll need to consistently show he can be that interior disruptor the middle of the Vikings defensive line lacks. If he plays the same way this preseason that he has in the past, his time on the Vikings will come to an end before the 2020 season begins.