What do rookies mean to the Vikings? After one preseason game it's still unclear
Heading into Sunday’s matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders, among the most interesting things on the docket was the first look at the Vikings’ rookie class. With everyone healthy and ready to roll, it appeared there would be an opportunity to get some hints about where each player would fit into the lineup and what their outlook for 2022 might be. Instead there were few conclusions to draw, leaving us to focus on the upcoming joint practices and remaining preseason games to put together pieces of the puzzle.
Safety Lewis Cine, the Vikings’ 32nd overall pick, saw a handful of first quarter snaps alongside second-year player Cam Bynum. Raiders quarterback Jared Stidham rarely tested the deep secondary, averaging just 4.5 yards per attempt. He was also sacked three times. If Cine came in hoping to put his name on the map, Stidham made sure that wasn’t possible by never throwing downfield. Next week there will be more chances as the Vikings share the practice field with the 49ers, who are certain to push the ball into his stratosphere, particularly if Trey Lance airs it out in the second preseason contest.
Andrew Booth Jr. got the start in place of veteran Patrick Peterson, which does hint at his place on the depth chart after several weeks of training camp. The fact that Cam Dantzler played into the second quarter possibly pointed to a shade of competition between him and Booth Jr. but neither saw enough action to push the needle one way or the other. Booth Jr. had two tackles and committed two penalties on one target.
“It sounded like our guys were real competitive and maybe just it was more the illegal contact and a couple of holding calls there,” O’Connell said. “We just got to continue to play the technique.”
While rookie Ed Ingram has split first-team reps with veteran Jesse Davis in practice, it was Davis who got the start at right guard with the rest of the 1s. With the second team on the field, the offensive line helped bulldoze the way for success on the ground. The Vikings’ two second-team running backs totaled 91 yards on just 12 carries. It would stand to reason that the club wants their second-round guard to win the job but without being tested by the opposition’s starters, the assessment from the preseason opener is less clear. Will he get a chance versus the 49ers next week to earn a start? It seems the door is open for that to happen.
Linebacker Brian Asamoah was the first off the bench at his position. Troy Dye started in place of Eric Kendricks and veteran Jordan Hicks played only the opening possession. On a goal line stand, Asamoah shot toward the sideline and made a key tackle to shut down the Raiders’ possession. However, it was his only tackle of the day.
The Vikings’ third-round pick coming off the bench before more experienced players like Blake Lynch and Chazz Surratt suggests that he’s done enough in practice to be right behind the starters on the depth chart. How much he’s able to carve out a role on the defense is yet to be seen. After he was picked, the Vikings billed Asamoah as a position-flexible player whose size lands somewhere between linebacker and safety. Sunday’s usage showed he’s at least shown the coaches something but any further conclusion would be difficult to make.
The lone rookie who made himself a household name to hardcore Vikings watchers was running back Ty Chandler, who exploded for 50 yards on just five runs. His rushes were well blocked but not a fluke. The takeaway could reasonably be that the Vikings have found themselves another running back who has upside.
Will that result in Chandler getting playing time? That seems unlikely in the short term. Alexander Mattison has proven over the last three seasons that he can spell Dalvin Cook effectively, running 330 times at 4.2 yards per carry since 2019. In four starts in Cook’s place last year, he rushed for 90 or more yards in three of them and racked up 173 all-purpose yards against Seattle in Week 3. Save for a slew of injuries, Chandler will likely have to wait his turn. Mattison is in the final year of his contract and Cook’s future is unclear. So while it’s a plus to have a strong showing in his first time under the lights, it’s hard to see the rookie being an impact player right away.
That might very well end up being the case for the entire draft class. If Cine, Booth Jr. and Ingram don’t win their position battles in the coming weeks, we will leave the preseason unsure of exactly where they stand for the future. On the other side of that coin, if they beat out players who have more logged NFL playing time, that will be a sign for the future of the 2022 class. As of preseason Game 1, it’s uncertain which direction it will go.
