8 forgotten Vikings preseason superstars from the last 10 years

Player No. 3

Devante Downs - LB

In 2018, the Vikings used a seventh-round draft pick on linebacker Devante Downs, who spent his college career at the University of California. During the 2018 preseason, Downs didn't put up a lot of numbers (just four tackles in two matchups), but he clearly did enough since Minnesota decided to keep him on the final 53-man roster for the regular season.

In his second preseason with the Vikings in 2019, Downs made the most of his snaps and finished with 16 tackles, one sack, one pass deflection, and one interception in four games. Despite his performance, however, Minnesota waived him midway through the first month of the 2019 regular season.

Player No. 4

Cayleb Jones - WR

Before the most notable moment of his NFL career became when he was the first guy to hug Stefon Diggs after the "Minneapolis Miracle", Cayleb Jones actually had himself an impressive preseason in 2017 with the Vikings.

In four exhibition contests with Minnesota in 2017, Jones hauled in 12 passes for 153 yards and one touchdown. Unfortunately for the young receiver, his efforts during the preseason only resulted in him earning a spot on the Vikings' 2017 practice squad.