The Minnesota Vikings and the 31 other NFL teams are required to release unofficial depth charts prior to each preseason game, and they should always be taken with a grain of salt.
The Vikings might have dropped a big hint, however, of how they currently view their wide receiver group entering Saturday’s preseason opener with the Houston Texans.
While Minnesota’s starters have been pretty well established through OTAs, minicamp, and the first few weeks of training camp, some core specialist spots are up for grabs. The most notable “starter” listed on the Vikings’ first depth chart of the summer? You could argue that it’s Rondale Moore, who is expected to get the first crack at Minnesota's punt return spot this weekend.
Special teams could be Rondale Moore’s ticket to Minnesota Vikings’ final 53-man roster
While Vikings fans were excited about the prospect of the team adding Moore in free agency this spring, it’s also a good idea to follow the money. Moore’s deal included just $250K in guaranteed money, per Spotrac, so the young speedster didn’t exactly arrive in Eagan with a roster spot in hand. Alec Lewis, who covers the Vikings for The Athletic, had Moore getting cut in his latest 53-man roster projection.
Special teams could end up being a lifeline for Moore, who’s looking to prove himself after suffering a knee injury with the Falcons last summer. He hasn’t been a full-time punt returner since his rookie year with Arizona in 2021, but as Vikings special teams coordinator Matt Daniels told reporters on Thursday, he’s the team’s most experienced player at the position, outside of No. 1 cornerback Byron Murphy Jr.
“The idea is to get Rondale in there as early and often as possible. Just to get him comfortable.”
As for Moore’s recovery from his 2024 knee injury? Daniels said the “explosion is still there” for a player who worked hard this offseason to avoid the physically unable to perform list.
“The confidence is still there, and that’s always the biggest thing when you’re coming off these injuries: How do they handle it from a mental standpoint, more so than the physical aspect of it? And I think that he’s done an unbelievable job of rehabbing and really kind of coming back to his old — I would say, 4.28 speed is still there on display, and the Porsche is ready to go.”
While Daniels confirmed that Moore will get the first crack at the starting punt returner role, other Vikings are squarely in the mix.
Lucky Jackson did some work with the specialists during last year’s training camp, and undrafted rookie Silas Bolden entered spring workouts with plenty of buzz due to his electric return skills with the Texas Longhorns in 2024.
At the end of camp, the Vikings will have some tough decisions to make at wide receiver. Punt returner could end up being a deciding factor, giving Moore a monster opportunity this weekend.