5 Bold Predictions: Minnesota Vikings vs. Seattle Seahawks – Preseason Week 1

Prediction No. 1

DeWayne McBride will be Minnesota's standout offensive player

When it comes to the offense, Vikings fans will be checking the roster frequently on Thursday night. With the starters likely to be held out and other key backups nursing injuries, the first preseason game will be a chance for the players on the back end of the depth chart to stand out.

One area that will be particularly important will be the running game. The Vikings are set with heading into the regular season with Alexander Mattison as the starter, but the depth chart behind Mattison is a major question mark in the early stages of training camp.

Kene Nwangwu was listed second on the Vikings’ unofficial depth chart that was released on Monday, but he’s unlikely to play as he recovers from an injury. Ty Chandler has served as the second-string backup with Nwangwu on the shelf but wasn’t able to capitalize on a strong preseason a year ago.

This could open the door for seventh-round rookie DeWayne McBride, who finished second in the nation with 1,713 rushing yards at UAB last season. While he needs to clean up his ball security and has an uphill battle learning the basics of O’Connell’s offense, he also has the talent to climb quickly, ranking third in the nation with 4.6 yards per carry after contact.

You could make an argument that a lot more eyes will be on Jaren Hall when he comes into the game in the second half. But with the Vikings' main goal of getting out of Seattle without injuries, McBride could get plenty of work and show upside to grab a bigger role later in the season.