5 sleepers who could make the Vikings final 53-man roster in 2024

It's mid-July, and the start of Minnesota Vikings training camp and the 2024 season are just around the corner. Every Vikings fan and media member has an opinion on how the 2024 roster will look.

While those projections are right for the most part, there are always players who unexpectedly make the roster because of an amazing camp they put together.

These players may be rookies who were drafted late or not at all. Some may be long-time members of the team looking for one last chance to remain in purple, and others are guys who are buried on Minnesota's depth chart and are assumed to be camp bodies before being released into the wild.

So, who are a few sleeper Vikings players that could surprise and end up making the team's final 2024 roster?

James Lynch - DT

James Lynch is kind of a forgotten member of the Vikings and isn't talked about much when the depth and battle at defensive line is talked about. The reason for this is that he was a bubble player a season ago who was injured early in camp and forced on the injured reserve list.

Lynch never got a chance to get his feet wet in Brian Flores's defense. He was hurt before Flores figured out how he wanted to use him, and that was very unfortunate. Lynch was at his best in college when he was used as a rusher.

At Baylor, he was lined up out wide and basically just asked to go after the quarterback. That worked for him his junior season as he racked up an impressive 13.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for a loss.

Lynch has been in the NFL for three seasons and has just two sacks. He hasn't come close to the production he had in college, but he also hasn't played with a creative, mad scientist defensive mind like Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores. He could be the key to unlocking Lynch's potential.

This along with the fact that the team decided to bring him back, and a depth chart that isn't overly daunting, makes him a prime sleeper candidate to make the team.

N'Keal Harry - TE

N'Keal Harry is a former first-round pick who hasn't come close to living up to that billing. The Vikings are his third team and might be his last chance to stick in the NFL. His career won't continue at the position he was drafted in, as he's been moved to tight end.

The fact the Vikings moved him to a new position rather than flat-out releasing him does speak to the fact they still believe in his potential. He's 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds with a long wingspan. He would be very difficult for linebackers and safeties to cover, with that size and ability to run routes like a wide receiver.

The position transition is intriguing but it doesn't make things easier for Harry to make the roster. The Vikings have great depth at the tight end position. T.J. Hockenson is expected to miss the first few weeks of the season, but behind him on the depth chart are Josh Oliver, Johnny Mundt, Robert Tonyan, and Nick Muse.

Oliver is known for his blocking but did show some prowess as a pass catcher in 2023. Mundt has been deemed "the best third tight end in the NFL" by head coach Kevin O'Connell, so he's likely safe. Robert Tonyan is new to the Vikings but had productive stretches with the Packers.

Nick Muse is a young player who stood out last preseason. Those guys are all expected to make the team. Harry will have to have a huge preseason to jump one of them. It's not likely to happen, but it's not impossible either.

Jaylin Williams - CB

The Vikings have a huge hole on their cornerback depth chart after the tragic passing of Khyree Jackson. Someone will have to fill that hole on the roster and it could be Jaylin Williams. Not many folks are talking about him or his chances to make the final roster but they probably should be.

Williams was undrafted out of Indiana last season. He ended up seeing the field and even jumped Akayleb Evans on the depth chart when he struggled towards the end of the year. Williams racked up just one tackle but wasn't overwhelmed in coverage, and often was in the right position. He gained valuable experience and that should benefit him moving forward.

There are probably at least two spots up for grabs when it comes to the Vikings cornerbacks, and Williams is an under-the-radar player who could earn one of them.

Thayer Thomas - WR

The Vikings wide receiver room got a little more interesting recently, but not in a good way. Jordan Addison was arrested last week for suspicion of DUI, and while the investigation into that situation is ongoing, it could possibly end up with him being suspended for a few games this season.

The top of the Vikings wide receiver group was seen as very solid with Jefferson and Addison, with Brandon Powell as the expected WR3. The question is how the rest of the depth chart is going to fill out. Trishton Jackson, Jalen Nailor, and Trent Sherfield are the names most mentioned when it comes to the top five, but a guy who should also be in that mix is Thayer Thomas.

Thomas was signed by the Vikings as a UDFA after the 2023 NFL Draft. He was a dual sport athlete in college and he is a shifty, quick-twitched type of receiver who has solid hands. He also competed to be Minnesota's punt returner last summer, but he had some issues fielding the ball.

He formed a rapport with Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy in the team's OTAs this year and is someone head coach Kevin O'Connell has mentioned a couple of times during some recent press conferences.

He's still got an uphill battle to climb, but if Thomas puts together a solid preseason, he could earn one of the five or six receiver spots on Minnesota's final 2024 roster.

Michael Jurgens - C

Michael Jurgens was selected by the Vikings in the seventh round of last April's NFL Draft. He was a three-year starter at Wake Forest with experience at both center and guard.

Being such a late-round pick, many assume his best bet is making the practice squad and slowly developing into backing up Garrett Bradbury, but he could earn that job this summer.

Dan Feeney is the one Jurgens has to pass on the depth chart. While Feeney looks super cool, as if he just walked out of 1983 with his mustache and mullet, the truth is, he recently hasn't been very good at football.

Feeney graded out with a 44.8 overall PFF grade a season ago and the Vikings signed him to a one-year deal this offseason. He is versatile, but he's no lock to make the final roster.

If Jurgens can master the playbook and show proficiency as a run and pass blocker in training camp, Minnesota could deem Feeney expendable. It would be quite the feat for a late seventh-round pick to earn a spot as a backup in year one, but it isn't unprecedented.

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