Minnesota Vikings pre-training camp 53-man roster prediction

Cornerbacks (7)

• Starters: Cameron Dantzler, Patrick Peterson, Chandon Sullivan
• Backups: Andrew Booth Jr, Kris Boyd, Akayleb Evans, Perry Nickerson

With so many players leaving in free agency, cornerback was a position that needed a lot of help entering the 2022 season. The Minnesota Vikings responded by bringing back veteran Patrick Peterson to pair with Cameron Dantzler to form a solid starting duo. They also signed Chandon Sullivan from the rival Packers to be their primary nickel defender.

Minnesota doubled down on their corners by drafting Andrew Booth Jr. in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft and following that up by taking Akayleb Evans in Round 4. Those youngsters should be able to push Kris Boyd and Perry Nickerson for a role in the defense or on special teams.

Safeties (4)

• Starters: Lewis Cine, Harrison Smith,
• Backups: Camryn Bynum, Josh Metellus

Expectations were that Camryn Bynum would get an opportunity to start next to Harrison Smith in 2022 but the Vikings surprised many fans by taking safety Lewis Cine with their first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Cine should be able to learn from Smith while stepping in immediately thanks to his football intelligence and athletic ability.

Bynum now becomes the primary backup for both Cine and Smith, offering a high floor for a defensive unit that lacked depth the past few seasons. Josh Metellus will be a special teams contributor and an emergency safety to step in if needed.