Vikings 53-man roster projection before cutdown day: Who earned the final spots?

The Minnesota Vikings capped the preseason Saturday with a 26-3 win in Philadelphia over the Eagles. Now they have decisions to make.

All 32 NFL teams are finalizing their 53-man rosters. In the process, expect a flurry of activity over the next few days.

Which Vikings earned spots? What does that mean for those who didn’t? Here is the final edition of the yearly roster projection.

Quarterback (3)

Sam Darnold, Nick Mullens, Jaren Hall

Will the Vikings keep Hall? That’s the most interesting question here. Minnesota could cut him and try to sneak him onto the practice squad, but another team could swoop in. And it should be noted that other teams have had their eyes on Hall in recent weeks. He has complicated the Vikings’ decision with his recent play. Hall threw two touchdowns in the second preseason game in Cleveland and completed 17 of 25 passes Saturday for 189 yards and two touchdowns. Maybe more important than the statistics, he looked comfortable, progressed in rhythm and was mostly accurate. The Vikings need a No. 3 quarterback, and Hall is steeped in Kevin O’Connell’s system, so keeping him makes sense.

Running back/fullback (4)

Aaron Jones, Ty Chandler, Kene Nwangwu, C.J. Ham

No surprises here. Jones and Chandler will platoon at running back. Nwangwu is likely going to be the Vikings’ kick returner. Ham provides a way for Minnesota to play with heavier personnel on early downs; coaches also rave about his internal leadership. Myles Gaskin ran the ball well in the preseason, including 61 yards on 13 carries in Saturday’s matchup with the Eagles. He is a surefire practice squad option unless another team snags him.

Wide receiver (6)

Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor, Brandon Powell, Trishton Jackson, Trent Sherfield Sr.

It’s possible Jackson has had a better training camp and preseason than any other Vikings player. He dominated in practice in Eagan, Minn., at the TCO Performance Center in late July. He impressed in Cleveland at joint practices. He caught touchdowns in all three preseason games. On Saturday, he executed a perfect slant route and snatched a pass from Hall on the goal line. He’s in. Sherfield is not as much of a certainty but possesses a run-blocking frame the Vikings don’t otherwise have. Powell, meanwhile, is the punt returner. So, the prediction is six receivers.

Trishton Jackson hangs on for 6!

📺: @FOX9 pic.twitter.com/Vu3sF8KYnh

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 24, 2024

Tight end (3)

Josh Oliver, Johnny Mundt, Nick Muse

IR: T.J. Hockenson

Muse has not practiced in recent weeks with an undisclosed injury. Last week, though, he was walking around the weight room without a limp. Hockenson has continued his sprinting on side fields, but the Vikings could act safely by placing him on injured reserve as one of the two spots that do not count against the 53-man roster. Until he returns, Minnesota will probably lean heavily on Oliver and Mundt.

Offensive line (10)

Christian Darrisaw, Blake Brandel, Garrett Bradbury, Ed Ingram, Brian O’Neill, David Quessenberry, Walter Rouse, Dalton Risner, Dan Feeney, Tyrese Robinson

This is where the projection gets challenging. Darrisaw, Brandel, Bradbury, Ingram, O’Neill, Quessenberry and Rouse are locks. The Vikings penciled in Risner and Feeney as capable and important depth on the interior, but Risner has not practiced in weeks with a back injury and Feeney did not practice last week with a lower leg injury. If either injury is long term, the Vikings could get creative with roster designations. Otherwise, they’re likely in, but a question still remains: Is that all? Will the Vikings keep seventh-round rookie Michael Jurgens? How about Robinson, whom coaches have liked watching this preseason? Robinson is a bold pick here, but why not be bold?

Interior defensive line (6)

Harrison Phillips, Jonathan Bullard, Jerry Tillery, Jonah Williams, Levi Drake Rodriguez, Taki Taimani

If Robinson is the first bold pick of the projection, Taimani is the second. Last year, fifth-round pick Jaquelin Roy occupied the backup nose tackle spot. He has had a ho-hum camp this year, potentially opening up a spot for Taimani or even Jalen Redmond. Rodriguez, the Vikings’ other seventh-rounder from Texas A&M-Commerce, should secure a role, too, given his consistent activity.

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Edge (5)

Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Pat Jones II, Jihad Ward, Dallas Turner

IR: Gabriel Murphy

The Vikings can place two players on injured reserve and designate them to where they don’t count against the 53-man roster. Murphy might be a candidate for this. The undrafted edge rusher from UCLA wowed coaches in the first few weeks of camp, then suffered an undisclosed injury and has not been present since. Cutting him could risk losing him, so this is the sensible approach. Elsewhere, Ward is almost certain to make the team given his versatility, and defensive coordinator Brian Flores will probably rely on Jones’ experience.

Linebacker (3)

Ivan Pace Jr., Blake Cashman, Kamu Grugier-Hill

Cashman underwent a procedure on his finger after an injury in Cleveland during joint practices. He has not practiced since. His availability could affect the projection, but if the Vikings think he’ll be back soon, keeping three off-ball linebackers feels doable with how willing Flores is to use a player like Joshua Metellus as a linebacker. Minnesota might ultimately want Brian Asamoah II for special teams. The Vikings could also try to trade Asamoah in the next few days for draft capital and deploy Grugier-Hill in special teams.

Cornerback (5)

Stephon Gilmore, Shaq Griffin, Byron Murphy Jr., Fabian Moreau, Dwight McGlothern

Why is Akayleb Evans absent from this list? Not because he’s been cut but because in this projection a trade feels possible. The Vikings currently have three draft picks (a first-rounder and two fifth-rounders). They’re in line for at least one compensation pick, too, but adding more darts seems smart. Parting with Evans also opens the door for McGlothern, who has displayed a knack for the ball all camp. The Vikings don’t have an obvious backup nickel cornerback with these five, but Flores has not been afraid to use Metellus or Camryn Bynum in that role if necessary.

Safety (5)

Harrison Smith, Camryn Bynum, Joshua Metellus, Theo Jackson, Jay Ward

Similar to last year, Flores will frequently use three-safety sets, especially on third down. Smith, Bynum, Metellus and Theo Jackson are all well-versed in Flores’ defense and can operate the communication controls on the back end. Ward is younger and less reliable, but he is versatile. He can play both safety and cornerback, and he’s also a key special teams contributor, having played 69 percent of Minnesota’s special teams snaps last season. Lewis Cine resides in a similar bucket to Asamoah and Evans — the Vikings could look to trade him in the next couple of days.

.@JWARD_4 takes it away to keep points off the board.

📺: @FOX9 pic.twitter.com/Xccn5r1Rk9

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 24, 2024

Specialists (3)

Will Reichard, K; Ryan Wright, P; Andrew DePaola, LS

Of these three, DePaola has the longest leash. Then Reichard, then a big gap, then Wright. The punter beat out Seth Vernon but struggled last year and clanked one off the side of his foot Saturday for 26 yards. It would not be the most surprising thing to see the Vikings scour the punter market over the next few days.

(Photo of Jaren Hall: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images)