Which 16 players will likely end up on the Minnesota Vikings practice squad?
The Minnesota Vikings roster is loaded with young talent this year. The Vikings brought in 25 rookies this offseason and the team has plenty of second-year players who will be in the mix for playing time.
Minnesota also has many veterans returning to their starting spots this year, so there won’t be enough open room on the depth chart to accommodate everyone.
The Vikings get to keep 53 players and with the new COVID-19 rules, they get to add 16 guys who don’t make the final roster to their practice squad.
In addition to helping the starters prepare for the upcoming game each week, the practice squad players get to continue to learn their position and hone their skills to compete for a job on the team for the following season.
Some even develop so fast, they get called up during the current season if a certain position is decimated by an injury.
Normally, some of these bubble players would have strong chances of making the final roster with opportunities to showcase their skills in preseason games. But with everything shortened due to COVID-19, undrafted players will have a much harder time earning a job, as teams will want to go with experienced guys who are already familiar with the system in place.
So who are the 16 players from Minnesota’s current roster that could end up on the team’s practice squad this year?
Jake Lacina – C
Jake Lacina was an undrafted center out of Augustana. His father was a former Vikings offensive lineman, so he knows what it takes to make it in the NFL, and he has a general idea of how teams operate at the professional level. That gives him an advantage over some of Minnesota’s other players, but he also has plenty of skill.
Lacina was the Rimington Award winner at the D-II level for the nation’s best center. He’s extremely experienced, having played in every game at college.
He’s strong, technically sound, and he would have had a decent shot to make the Vikings’ final roster in a normal year, as the depth chart ahead of him isn’t all that daunting. However, with the recent news that Brett Jones is getting reps as Minnesota’s second-team center and Dakota Dozier was also taking snaps at center, that does not bode well for Lacina’s chances.
If the Vikings are experimenting with Dozier in the middle, instead of Lacina, the practice squad seems like the most likely landing spot for this rookie.
Blake Brandel – OT
Minnesota took Blake Brandel in the sixth round of last April’s NFL Draft. He played both right and left tackle in college and he boasts good size at 6-foot-7. Brandel does lack elite physical traits and there has been some talk that the Vikings might move him inside to guard.
The guard competition for Minnesota is truly wide open. But even with things being up for grabs, Brandel’s chances to make the regular-season roster are still slim.
He is already behind Dozier, Pat Elflein, Dru Samia, Ezra Cleveland, Aviante Collins, and even Oli Udoh if they slide him inside. If Brandel wants his NFL career to continue, he’ll likely have to focus on playing well enough to earn himself a spot on the practice squad this year.
Quartney Davis – WR
Quartney Davis received a ton of buzz after this year’s NFL Draft was over. The Vikings made it a priority to sign this guy and he clearly had a chip on his shoulder wanting to prove himself after not being taken.
Multiple draft experts had Davis coming off the board on Day 3 as he’s a big-bodied target who can get extra yardage after the catch. Many are assuming he’ll make Minnesota’s final roster, as he possesses more raw talent than several current receivers on the team
While Davis still has a chance to make the final roster, the Vikings could opt to go with experience over raw talent at this point.
Adam Thielen, Bisi Johnson, and Justin Jefferson are all locks to make the cut this year. K.J. Osborn is likely safe too, due to his ability to return kicks and punts. That leaves Davis in a battle with veterans Tajae Sharpe, Chad Beebe, and second-year man Alexander Hollins.
With there being no preseason games and an overall lack of time and opportunity for Davis to climb the depth chart, he could be destined for the practice squad this season.
The Vikings will be holding their breath if they do cut him though because there is a strong chance a team could claim him before he clears waivers.
Dan Chisena – WR
Chisena is another Minnesota receiver who seems destined for the practice squad. He does have a very slim chance to crack the final 53-man roster though.
Chisena didn’t put up many receiving stats in college, having caught just three passes in his career at Penn State. What he does possess is good size at 6-foot-3 and blazing speed, as he’s a former track star.
Where he stands out is on special teams. With his speed and no real concern about the well being of his body, Chisena was born to be a gunner. If he plays special teams in practice the way he did at Penn State, he could carve himself out a spot on the Vikings active roster this year.
This is an extreme long shot though and he seems like a perfect candidate for the practice squad, where he can work on his skills as a pass-catcher.
Brandon Dillon – TE
Brandon Dillon surprisingly made the team a season ago despite the Vikings being fairly stacked at the tight end position. He was also helped since Minnesota was thin at wide receiver and instead of keeping five, they opted to keep four, and use their extra spot for Dillon.
Dillon did earn his way onto the team by catching basically everything thrown his way in practice and exhibition games last summer though. His blocking needs work, but he is a player who provides good depth if Irv Smith Jr. or Kyle Rudolph were to get injured this season.
What could hurt Dillon this year is the added depth to the Vikings receiving corps. They will likely keep at least five receivers this year, which could cause them to only hold onto three tight ends. If Dillon can’t surpass Tyler Conklin on the depth chart, he could find himself on the practice squad in 2020.
Nate Stanley – QB
The Vikings usually only keep two quarterbacks on the active roster, with the third ending up on the practice squad.
Last year, Jake Browning was the third option and since he was an undrafted rookie, he was never really given a true shot to beat out Sean Mannion to be the top backup behind Kirk Cousins. Browning will be in a battle to stay on the practice squad this year with one of Minnesota’s 2020 seventh-round picks, Nate Stanley.
Stanley isn’t the athlete that Browning is, but has great size at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds. He’s got a rocket arm and he was very productive at Iowa, throwing for over 8,000 yards with 68 touchdowns to 23 interceptions.
The fact he was taken with a draft pick does give him a slight advantage, but he’ll have to outplay Browning in camp to take his seat on the squad. However, with the extra slots on the practice squad this year, the Vikings could decide to keep two quarterbacks as added insurance.
Brian Cole II – S
The Vikings took Brian Cole II in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He is a very raw safety prospect, having only played the position for a couple of seasons after converting from a wide receiver.
Cole does have plenty of speed and he can lay a big hit. But he is still going through some growing pains as he continues to adjust to playing defense.
Cole is athletically gifted and he should be an ace special teamer when he eventually does get called up to Minnesota’s active roster. For now, what is best for him would be to land on the practice squad where he can watch and learn from Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris for a year, and then compete for a job in 2021.
David Moa – DT
David Moa or “The Moa Constrictor” as he became known during his time at Boise State, is an intriguing prospect.
His skill set fits in perfectly for what the Vikings are looking for in their defensive tackles at the moment. They want players who can play at both the nose and the three-technique spots, and Moa has experience in lining up at both of these positions in college.
In 2016, he exploded with 8.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for a loss. While he hasn’t come close to those numbers since, perhaps he was asked to do different things in 2018 and 2019.
Either way, Minnesota would love to have at least one interior defensive lineman on the practice squad who can work with Andre Patterson all year long. He can learn from a great coach, get acclimated to the speed of the NFL, and attempt to crack the 53-man roster next season.
Blake Lynch – LB
The Vikings have four young linebackers on their roster. Troy Dye was a fourth-round pick this year and he will likely make the team. Blake Lynch and Jordan Fehr were added after the draft and Minnesota recently signed Hardy Nickerson Jr. to round out the depth. At least one of these three remaining players will probably make the practice squad.
Lynch has a great shot since he played for a big school like Baylor. He’s battle-tested and he faced some of the better competition that college football has to offer.
Lynch has great size at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds in addition to also moving well on the field. He will be in a battle with Fehr and Nickerson this summer. But with a solid camp, he should be able to land on the practice squad.
Kyle Hinton – OL
Hinton was the last player the Vikings drafted in 2020. He’s a small school standout and dominated as a tackle at the Division II level. He moves well for being such a large man and he plays mean, blocking with aggression and power.
Hinton does have an outside shot to make the 53-man roster if he can impress in practice. There has been some talk that Minnesota could try him out at center and the more versatility he’s able to show, the better his chances are of making the team.
Even though the Vikings’ guard situation is not the greatest, Hinton’s chances of making the roster are bleak. He is making the adjustment from a Divison-II school to the NFL and that is a huge jump in talent and overall speed of the game.
He would benefit greatly from a year on the practice squad and he could be a strong candidate to get called up to the active roster at some point during the season.
Jake Browning – QB
Jake Browning was the Vikings practice squad quarterback a season ago and that does give him an advantage over rookie Nate Stanley to win that job once again.
Browning doesn’t have the rocket arm or size that Stanley possesses, but he can throw on the run, and he is a much better overall athlete.
As previously mentioned, Minnesota could opt to keep two quarterbacks on the practice squad season, making both of these young signal-callers safe. If Kirk Cousins or Sean Mannion were to get test positive for COVID-19, the Vikings would at least have a couple of players they could sign off the practice squad who are familiar with the offense.
Browning has been in this system for over a year and while he would probably struggle, he would at least not be learning on the fly.
Jake Bargas – FB
Jake Bargas is the kind of player the Vikings love to sign to their practice squad. He’s a former college tight end who is transitioning to fullback in the NFL.
Bargas is 6-foot-2, 250 pounds, and he is a very good blocker. The transition to fullback makes sense for him as his size and overall athletic ability don’t translate well to tight end at the next level.
He’s a player Minnesota can develop into either an eventual replacement for C.J. Ham or potential trade bait down the road. Bargas has the skills to be a standout on special teams and he will probably be one of those players that coaches love.
Kenny Willekes – DE
Kenny Willekes is a guy who could actually make the Vikings’ final 53-man roster. The road did get much tougher for him though, as Jalyn Holmes has recently converted back to his college position of defensive end and he has usurped the seventh-round pick on the depth chart.
Another obstacle in the way of Willekes making the roster is the play of Eddie Yarbrough so far in training camp. Yarbrough has been impressive and if he keeps it up, it’ll be hard for Minnesota to not keep him on their active roster this season.
Willekes isn’t a great overall athlete, but he has one of the best motors on the team. He is an extremely hard worker and he overcomes his limited athletic ability with hard work and determination.
The biggest fear for the Vikings, if they do cut this kid at the end of camp, is the possibility of another team coming in and signing him before he can be added to the practice squad.
That’s a risk Minnesota may have to take, as the team might only keep four defensive ends just as they have in years past.
Myles Dorn – S
Myles Dorn is another player who, when training camp began, many figured had a very strong shot to make the regular-season roster.
He’s a much more accomplished and complete safety than the ones the Vikings drafted this year. He’s more experienced than Brian Cole II and he is much better in coverage than Josh Metellus.
The concern so far is that Dorn has been extremely quiet in camp. There hasn’t been much news coming out about how he’s performing so far and that is slightly concerning. Metellus has gotten some good buzz and he seems to have a better chance at making the team at this point.
Minnesota also went out and signed a veteran safety in Steven Parker recently. If he can show some of the ball skills in practice that he did during his time with the Miami Dolphins last year, the team could opt to keep him over Dorn due to his experience.
This would likely send Dorn to the practice squad, where could learn from Anthony Harris and Harrison Smith for a year like Cole.
Harrison Hand – DB
The Vikings will have a tough decision to make when it comes to which defensive backs they keep this year.
As far as corners go, Jeff Gladney, Cameron Dantzler, Mike Hughes, Holton Hill, and Kris Boyd all appear to be locks to make Minnesota’s final 2020 roster. Undrafted rookie Nevelle Clarke has been impressive in camp so far, and it is entirely possible he jumps Harrison Hand on the depth chart to make the team’s active roster as their sixth cornerback.
As far as safety goes, it looks like Josh Metellus and newly acquired Steven Parker could be the front runners for the backup jobs behind Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris. If both of these scenarios come to pass, it could put Hand on the chopping block and make the practice squad his most likely destination.
This could bode well for Hand in the long run though. If the Vikings do convert him to safety, he can take the time he needs and learn the nuances of the position on the practice squad for a season. He’ll be better prepared to compete for a job in 2021 and potentially make an impact for Minnesota in his second year.
Dillon Mitchell – WR
The Vikings drafted Dillon Mitchell in the seventh round in 2019 and they were excited about the former Oregon Duck. Mitchell boasted good size, good speed, and many figured he’d make the team as the fourth or fifth receiver.
For whatever reason, Mitchell didn’t develop quickly and was surpassed on the depth chart by Bisi Johnson. He did end up on Minnesota’s practice squad, but he was still slow to acclimate to the NFL game. He saw undrafted rookie receivers Davion Davis and Alexander Hollins get called up to play meaningful games before he did.
In a normal year, Mitchell would probably just be cut at season’s end. This year though, the Vikings might as well keep him around, and see if another season on the practice squad does him good.
He does have talent as a pass catcher and he can also provide some return skills. If things finally do click with Mitchell this year, he could become a valuable asset to the Vikings offense.