Coming off an impressive performance in this past Saturday's preseason matchup against the Houston Texans, in which he snagged not one, but two interceptions, Minnesota Vikings safety Kahlef Hailassie knows he's got to find a way to build off his spectacular day if he wants to earn a spot on the team's final 2025 roster.
On Monday, Hailassie was asked by FOX 9's Ahmad Hicks what he has to do to continue having success during the next two weeks before the Vikings make their final roster cuts. The young safety kept it simple with his answer.
"It's really just about staying consistent in the details, even just as far as coming out here during practice, still going hard, still making sure you're maintaining your craft. Just the little details [and] staying consistent with them."
Kahlef Hailassie fighting for a roster spot in a crowded Minnesota Vikings safety room
As good as Hailassie's performance was against the Texans this past Saturday, he's still staring at an uphill battle when it comes to landing a spot on Minnesota's final 53-man roster for the 2025 season.
At the top of the Vikings' safety depth chart are Harrison Smith, Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson, and Jay Ward. Smith, Metellus, and Jackson are all locks to make the final roster, and Ward has been having an impressive training camp, so he's expected to land a roster spot as well.
After those four, the Vikings have to figure out if they want to keep any additional safeties heading into the regular season. Even if Minnesota is willing to begin the 2025 campaign with five safeties, veteran Tavierre Thomas would still likely have the edge over someone like Hailassie due to his experience and his skills on special teams.
So, is there anything that Hailassie can really do during the Vikings' final two preseason games to prove to the team that he's deserving of a spot on the final roster?
Let's just keep it honest and state that his chances of making the final 53-man roster are still very low, but if he puts together two more impressive preseason performances this summer like he did this past Saturday, then he's at least going to make the decision to cut him or keep him a lot harder for Minnesota.