4 Vikings players on the roster bubble ahead of OTAs

Ameer Abdullah – RB

It would be a big surprise if the Vikings kept four running backs on their 53-man roster this year, considering how much of the responsibility Dalvin Cook takes up in terms of carries. Veteran players at the position are typically available in free agency throughout the season anyway, so Minnesota could also go down this route if the worst happened and Cook was forced to miss extended time due to injury.

There appears to be little doubt that Alexander Mattison’s is not No. 2 on the depth chart after what he’s shown in Cook’s absence. This would leave Ameer Abdullah fighting it out with a rookie running back in Kene Nwangwu that the Vikings thought enough of to take in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Nwangwu certainly looks the part, even though he is still a little raw. His ability on special teams will be of great assistance while he brings other areas of his game up to speed. So if Abdullah isn’t ready for the challenge awaiting him this summer, the former member of the Detroit Lions might be the odd man out.

This will be one of the more fascinating battles to keep an eye on when OTAs and training camp get underway. Minnesota has a lot of exciting young talent on offense after a busy draft weekend, but just how many of them could make an instant contribution remains to be seen.