5 new Vikings who could be cut before the 2022 season

Nick Muse – TE

Nick Muse was the last player the Vikings selected in Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s first-ever NFL Draft as the team’s general manager. It was a little surprising that Minnesota waited so long to address the tight end position as the depth was shaky at best with an injury-prone player in Irv Smith Jr. topping the position group’s depth chart.

Muse was seen as an average prospect at best, not really standing out in any area and being average in most others. His size and athletic ability are his best traits and he will be in a camp battle to be the team’s third tight end this season.

His competition isn’t too daunting, and he actually has a better shot than most seventh-round picks of making the team. That being said, he does have an uphill battle ahead of him.

As stated above, Smtih is TE1, and while he hasn’t done much yet in his career, Johnny Mundt is a hand-picked Kevin O’Connell favorite and will be the backup. That leaves blocking tight end Ben Ellefson and second-year man Zach Davidson as the two battling Muse for that last spot.

This may come down to what the offensive coaching staff wants from its third-string tight end. If they do want a blocker it’ll be Ellefson no doubt, but if they want a guy who can be an offensive threat it’ll come down to Muse and Davidson.

Davidson looked god-awful during the preseason last year but does have freakish size. If he can somehow turn it around, and win this battle, Muse will get the ax, and may never see an actual game in purple.