The Minnesota Vikings will wrap up/wrapped up their preseason schedule against the Denver Broncos on Friday night, and while there’s a long wait until they open the regular season against the Green Bay Packers on September 13, the nerves will be in full effect as the team cuts down to 53 players by 5 p.m. CST on Sunday.
Most of the Vikings’ starting spots have been decided before training camp, and several depth spots seem filled as a team that expects to compete in the NFC North this season.
But it’s still a good exercise to see who will (and who won’t) make the cut as the Vikings trim their roster before the deadline.
Final Minnesota Vikings 53-man roster prediction fo for the 2026 season
Specialists (3): Will Reichard (K), Brett Thorson (P), Andrew DePaola (LS)
Will Reichard probably has the best job security on the team, and DePaola isn’t going anywhere as a longtime and former Pro Bowl long snapper. But the one area that has some suspense is at punter.
Hekker has the track record as a former All-Pro, but Thorson has been impressive, landing a pair of punts inside the 20-yard line during last week’s preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. Most importantly, Hekker held for a 52-yard field goal by Reichard, which is an underlying component of that punt off.
The Vikings could go with experience here, and nobody would blink. But if Thorson is punting well and holding for Reichard, it could be the development that helps him win the job.
Interior Defensive Linemen (6): Jalen Redmond, Domonique Orange, Caleb Banks, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Levi Drake Rodriguez, Elijah Williams
There are not a lot of surprises here. Redmond is a potential breakout candidate (although he’s already 27 years old), while Orange and Banks should improve as the season goes along.
Ingram-Dawkins offers versatility, and Levi Drake Rodriguez brings some solid depth. But the final roster spot could come down to Elijah Williams and veteran Isaiah Loudermilk.
Williams has been a pleasant surprise for the second straight preseason, recording a sack, three pressures and an 87.0 overall grade on 34 defensive snaps. He’s also been a monster against the run with three stops in 14 run defense snaps per PFF.
A player like Williams is hard to get on the practice squad, and Loudermilk hasn’t looked good enough to seize a veteran role with a 68.3 overall grade and no pressures on 27 overall snaps.
In all, the Vikings probably want to keep Williams in the fold and will give him the final roster spot.
Edge Rusher (5): Dallas Turner, Andrew Van Ginkel, Bo Richter, Tyler Batty, Chaz Chambliss
The biggest question here is whether the Vikings add a player to this group. The free agent market has dried up after Von Miller and Za’Darius Smith signed recently, and it’s still possible that Nolan Teasley could wait to see what happens with the rest of the roster cuts around the league.
As it stands now, the Vikings are top-heavy at the position. Turner looks great and ready to make everyone forget about Jonathan Greenard. Van Ginkel is also entering a contract year and could solidify his case for an extension if he plays well.
The questions are between Richter, Batty, and Chambliss. If the Vikings like what they see, they could kick their depth concerns down the road until the trade deadline. If they don’t, they could make an addition here where any of those three could be placed on the chopping block.
Inside Linebackers (4): Eric Wilson, Blake Cashman, Jake Golday, Ivan Pace Jr.
The Athletic’s Alec Lewis has noted that Wilson and Cashman had a tremendous training camp. In addition, Golday may be one of the Vikings’ most interesting players this year thanks to his athleticism and versatility. But the final spot lost its suspense when Jamal Adams went down with a season-ending quad injury.
Adams was speculated to spend time at both linebacker and safety before the injury, and with him out of the picture, the Vikings will probably keep Pace on the roster.
A missile that can blitz and stop the run, Pace’s coverage is a big problem and could be something to keep an eye on as he enters the final year of his contract.
Cornerbacks (4): Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, James Pierre, Charles Demmings
Four cornerbacks feel light, but it’s different considering how Brian Flores uses his safeties. With a tendency to use three safeties at times, the numbers in the secondary could be flipped between the two positions, with the possibility of Zemaiah Vaughn making the cut.
In this exercise, the cornerbacks are simple. Murphy and Rodgers will man the starting positions, and Pierre could man an outside role.
Demmings will likely be fourth on the depth chart despite a strong training camp, but could have a bigger role if he develops this season.
Safeties (6): Josh Metellus, Jakobe Thomas, Jay Ward, Tavierre Thomas, Theo Jackson, Jacob Thomas
With four corners on the roster, the Vikings can keep a few more safeties. Metellus and Ward feel safe, and Jakobe Thomas will make the team as a third-round pick despite dealing with a back injury during training camp.
Assuming Jacob Thomas has done enough to make the roster, that’s where things get interesting. Tavierre Thomas may have an advantage as a valued member of the special teams unit, but Jackson’s spot could get dicey ahead of the deadline and again if Harrison Smith decides to put off retirement for another year.
Quarterbacks (3): Kyler Murray, Carson Wentz, Max Brosmer
Murray won the starting quarterback job on August 14, but the suspense hasn’t gone away thanks to the future of J.J. McCarthy. McCarthy had the opportunity to win the backup quarterback job with a strong performance in the preseason, but that seems to have evaporated faster than a “Nine Ball” headed toward a wide-open receiver.
In many ways, his fourth-and-goal incompletion to Myles Price may have been the last straw. With processing speeds comparable to dial-up internet, McCarthy hasn’t shown improvement, and Wentz may be relied upon to run the offense if something happens to Murray.
You may think that leaves McCarthy as the QB3, but Lewis reported the Vikings are still high on Brosmer, and if they feel like he can run the offense at a better level, it may be worth Minnesota to get what they can in a trade (likely a sixth or seventh-round pick) or release him altogether. Whatever the decision, it’s looking unlikely he will be a Viking after Sunday.
Running Back/Fullback (5): Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, Demond Claiborne, Zavier Scott, Max Bredeson
Jones, Mason, and Bredeson are all safe here as players who will anchor the Vikings’ revamped running game. But the back end of the depth chart is where the fun begins.
Claiborne has gotten plenty of praise for his speed and burst, which Jones compared to Detroit Lions star Jahmyr Gibbs. But that hasn’t translated to big plays this preseason, with 20 attempts for 52 yards and 1.85 yards after contact, according to PFF.
Other faster running backs would have been cut with those numbers, but it feels like the Vikings believe they have something with Claiborne if they coach him up.
While they could waive him and put him on the practice squad, another team could claim him, making it likely he makes the team even in a “redshirt” role for his rookie season.
Meanwhile, Scott is not spectacular but he knows what to do and when to do it. If the Vikings are keeping one back or the other, Scott is the most likely to get cut. But there seems to be room for both of them as Minnesota sorts out its 53-man roster.
Wide Receiver (5): Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings, Tai Felton, Myles Price
Considered to be a concern going into training camp, the Vikings have wound up with a deep receiver room ahead of cutdown day.
Felton seems to be on the K.J. Osborn path to redemption after a quiet rookie season, and Price has been an even bigger surprise as a player who scored a touchdown in the preseason opener against the New York Giants and should have had another one in last week’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
With that, the first five receivers on the depth chart are locked in. But the biggest question is whether they’ll carry a sixth wideout.
Jeshaun Jones may have ruined his chances after getting a three-game suspension for a violation of the NFL’s substance abuse police and while Dillon Bell had steam this offseason, his 4.7 average depth of target (aDOT) per PFF doesn’t seem to mesh with an offense that is predicated on big shots downfield.
Unless the Vikings were impressed with Bell, there’s a chance both receivers could be the odd man out. But if they decide to carry extra depth, it could be enough for Bell to sneak in.
Tight End (3): T.J. Hockenson, Josh Oliver, Gavin Bartholomew
Hockenson will enter a “prove it year” as he’ll become a free agent at the end of this season, and Oliver is a lock as a road grader in the running game.
Bredeson can also spend time at tight end, which gives the Vikings extra options, but the final spot could come down to Bartholomew and Ben Yurosek.
Bartholomew has flashed at times after missing all of last season with a back injury. But Yurosek is a yeoman-like depth player who filled in occasionally last season.
Much like Claiborne, it could come down to which player has the greatest risk of being claimed off waivers if the Vikings try to sneak them to the practice squad.
In this case, Bartholomew seems to have the advantage but there’s also a world where they trust Yurosek’s availability instead.
Offensive Line (9): Christian Darrisaw (LT), Donovan Jackson (LG), Blake Brandel ( C), Will Fries (RG), Brian O’Neill (RT), Ryan Van Demark, Michael Jurgens, Joe Huber, Caleb Tiernan
Of all the groups, the offensive line may be the easiest to figure out. Darrisaw has looked healthy and effective after battling lingering effects from a 2024 knee injury last season. O’Neill is a franchise cornerstone with a new extension in hand, and big things are expected from Jackson and Fries at guard.
If there is a question, it’s what the Vikings are going to do at center. Brandel is still struggling with shotgun snaps toward the end of training camp, and the Vikings don’t have a backup that will make them comfortable, as Jurgens struggled when forced into action last season.
The center issue could have the Vikings combing the waiver wire after Monday’s deadline, but the rest of the group feels set in stone as Minnesota makes its cuts.
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