3 Vikings who locked up a roster spot in the first preseason game

The Minnesota Vikings won their first preseason game in five years by squeaking out a 24-23 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Plenty of players stood out in this game. The two first-round picks shone especially bright, as JJ McCarthy threw for nearly 200 yards and a couple of scores and Dallas Turner was as advertised with a sack and a tackle for a loss.

Those two young players' roster spots were never in question but there were plenty of individuals whose performances weighed heavily on their chances of making the final 53-man roster of the Vikings.

These players weren't assured a roster spot but their solid performances in the exhibition game will go a long way in determining if they are on the practice squad or this final roster. Here are three players who all but locked up spots on the Vikings' final 53-man squad with their stellar performances against the Raiders.

Edge Bo Richter

Bo Richter was a beast against the Raiders and his performance was one of the most surprising elements of the first preseason game. Richter exploded for six tackles, a sack, and two tackles for a loss. The reason it was so surprising, was that there was no buzz surrounding his performance in training camp. He rarely got a mention in any camp recap video or article and was flying under the radar. That all changed on Saturday.

Richter was relentless in pursuit, explosive off the line, and played with power and speed. He's built like a brick house and has a body type that is very reminiscent of Viking great Brian Robison. It's worth noting that he was playing against third and fourth-stringers, but that's what he is, and he dominated the competition.

Bo Richter came out of nowhere and now is one of the most buzzworthy players on the Vikings roster. It'll be interesting to see how he follows up his explosive debut performance against the Browns this weekend, but for now, he's a guy the Vikings almost have to keep.

DT Levi Drake Rodriguez

LDR has been turning heads since the moment he was drafted. He had a very energetic call from the Vikings when they drafted him and has been impressing with his high-energy play the moment he stepped on the practice field back in May. Drake Rodriguez has had a very nice camp and even saw some spot duty with the first-team defense. He was out there early against the Raiders and immediately made his presence felt.

LDR donned John Randle face paint and channeled the great's energy and intensity. He was blowing up blocks, getting into the backfield, and pressuring the Raiders quarterbacks. He finished his day with two tackles, a sack, and a tackle for a loss. It was an impressive debut for the late-round pick from a school almost no one has heard of.

Being a seventh-round choice, his spot on the roster was never guaranteed, but after the game against the Raiders, his job is secured. Like Richter it'll be interesting to see if he can keep it going, but it looks like the Vikings finally may have found a playmaker on their front line.

WR Trishton Jackson

Trishton Jackson was having a quiet camp prior to the game against the Raiders. All the receiver news from practice had been about Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jalen Nailor. There was also talk about Lucky Jackson and Malik Knowles, but when it came to Trishton Jackson any reports about his progress were scarce.

He exploded against the Raiders with four receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown. He ran beautiful routes and used his speed to get behind the defender on that glorious JJ McCarthy bomb. Jackson put his name back on the map in a huge way with his huge game and is now the front-runner to land the final spot on the Vikings' wide receiver depth chart.

Jefferson and Addison top that chart, with Jalen Nailor and Brandon Powell fleshing out the top four. The Vikings are likely to keep at least one more, and Trishton Jackson earned that final spot with his dominating day against Las Vegas.

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