4 Vikings who have already locked up a 2023 roster spot this preseason

Player No. 1

Ty Chandler - RB

Ty Chandler took charge with Kene Nwangwu nursing an injury in Seattle. Chandler looked sharp in every facet of the offense and did enough to earn himself a consistent role in the offense, potentially even the backup job to Alexander Mattison. He carried the ball 11 times for 41 yards and added 29 yards through the air while making defenders look silly in open space.

Chandler already seems to be the clear No. 2 back at this point in the preseason. The Vikings have added multiple running backs since camp kicked off, signing Abram Smith and Aaron Dykes to fill out some depth for the next two games.

Dykes serves as an option to return kicks while Nwangwu is out of action, which also signals that Chandler will not have any role in that aspect of the scrimmages. DeWayne McBride had three kickoff returns in the opener but did not look sharp. The smart play would be for McBride to slide into Chandler's role and get a cleaner look as the lead runner behind the second-string offensive line.

Chandler is a lock to make the roster, and with Nwangwu already dealing with an injury, the Vikings cannot afford to risk another injury in the backfield. If Chandler touches the field against the Titans, he should be extremely limited or only used with the first-team offense to build some chemistry with the starters.

There simply is nothing left to prove but so much to risk by sending Chandler out there in a similar capacity as last week. The Vikings have enough bodies behind him to eat the carries against the Titans and let Chandler prepare for a bit of a larger role in the preseason finale heading into the regular season.