3 sneaky roster needs for the Minnesota Vikings in 2022

Tight End

When one thinks of all the Vikings’ needs heading into free agency, tight end doesn’t immediately come to mind. It probably should, as it is going to be a pretty big need for the team moving forward.

The  Vikings currently have a nice duo at the top of their depth chart with Irv Smith Jr. and Tyler Conklin, but that is not likely to last into the upcoming season. The Vikings are salary cap strained and aren’t going to be able to afford the type of contract Conklin is sure to be offered this season.

They are fine rolling with Irv Smith Jr. as the top option but he’s proven to be extremely injury prone and will need a reliable backup. Chris Herndon was a horrible acquisition who is a free agent and won’t be brought back, and Luke Stocker won’t be re-signed either. Second-year man Zach Davidson will compete for a roster spot, but he looked very raw in the preseason and will have to make a massive leap in progress to make the roster.

The Vikings could look for a cheap veteran to backup Smith Jr. and then use a mid-round draft pick to land someone to compete with Davidson and groom to be the third option. Kevin O’Connell loves to utilize the tight end, so he’s sure to have big plans for this position.