Minnesota Vikings: Projecting starters for the 2021 season
By Adam Carlson
Specialists
- PK/KO: Greg Joseph
- P/H: Britton Colquitt
- LS: Andrew DePaola
- KR: Kene Nwangwu
- PR: Ihmir Smith-Marsette
Special teams was a bit of a disaster for the Minnesota Vikings in 2020 and once again the team brought in a lot of competition for those jobs. Each specialist will have to fight off a rookie in order to keep their jobs.
Greg Joseph should be able to beat out undrafted free agent Riley Patterson to be the team’s new kicker. He may not have much experience in game-time situations, but his familiarity with the league gives him an advantage going into the competition.
On the other hand, it was a bit surprising to see competition be brought in for punter since Britton Colquitt was a middle-of-the-road punter but an excellent holder. Zach Von Rosenberg faces a tough challenge to move past him on the depth chart. The situation is similar for Andrew DePaola and Turner Bernard at long snapper, so the nod once again goes to the returning specialist.
One thing for certain is that K.J. Osborn showed he wasn’t ready to return punts for the Vikings and Chad Beebe couldn’t consistently haul them in. This opens up the competition and newcomer Ihmir Smith-Marsette has the potential to win that job.
Also, Ameer Abdullah was great at securing touchbacks but didn’t offer much of a threat on kick returns. Rookie running back Kene Nwangwu has an explosive nature that would lend nicely to the duties going forward.
Do you think these players will be the starters for the Minnesota Vikings heading into the 2021 NFL season? Or will one of these individuals lose the battle for a spot and be regulated to backup duty? Let us know your opinion in the comments section!