Vikings 53-Man Roster Projections 2.0: Who Helped Their Case in Preseason Week 1?

EAGAN, MN — We’re officially one week closer to cut day: the moment when all 32 teams across the league simultaneously make some dreams come true, and others stay dreams. The Minnesota Vikings are no different, as they must have their final roster submitted to the league by 5 p.m. CST on Sunday, August 30. After more than two weeks of practice and one preseason game, we’re getting a glimpse of what that might look like.

Joint practices and a preseason matchup with the Baltimore Ravens later this week will carry the most significant weight of the summer, but some patterns and areas of need are already standing out.

Here’s the second version of my Vikings 53-man roster projection before the team kicks off joint practices with the Ravens on Wednesday.

Quarterback (3)

QB1: Kyler Murray
QB2: J.J. McCarthy
QB3: Carson Wentz

I'm sticking with my previous prediction for the QB room... for now. But if joint practices and Saturday's game against the Ravens follow a similar script to last week (and, frankly, the majority of camp), Carson Wentz may jump J.J. McCarthy as QB2, potentially knocking him off my final 53-man projections altogether and opening the door for Max Brosmer to make the cut. McCarthy has simply been that inconsistent.

Running back (3)

RB1: Aaron Jones
RB2: Jordan Mason
RB3: Demond Claiborne

Demond Claiborne intrigues me far too much to cut loose. Even with inconsistent play against the New York Giants, his explosive potential is too much to ignore. The team emphasized their interest in the Wake Forest back throughout the draft process, so I can’t see them moving on.

Fullback (1)

FB1: Max Bredeson

Every practice that goes by makes me more confident that the Vikings found an absolute wrecking ball in the Michigan fullback.

Wide receiver (6)

WR1: Justin Jefferson
WR2: Jordan Addison
WR3: Jauan Jennings
WR4: Tai Felton
WR5: Miles Price
WR6: Jeshaun Jones

Hard to find a better WR trio than this one. pic.twitter.com/iRQEFNEs0b
— Jason Harmon (@JasonHarmonNFL) August 17, 2026

Congratulations to Jeshaun Jones, whose consistency has earned him a spot in this week's projection by knocking off Dontae Fleming for the WR6 spot. While the race will be tight and there's no guarantee the Vikings will even keep six wideouts, Jones has the edge right now based on what I have seen in practices over the last few weeks.

Tight end (3)

TE1: T.J. Hockenson
TE2: Josh Oliver
TE3: Gavin Bartholomew

Not much change here other than the reassuring news that T.J. Hockenson and Kyler Murray seem to be building a reliable red-zone connection. Ben Yurosek looks like a great practice-squad candidate who can make a positive impact if called into action.

Offensive line (10)

LT: Christian Darrisaw
LG: Donovan Jackson
C: Player TBD
RG: Will Fries
RT: Brian O’Neill
Reserves: T Ryan Van Demark, G Joe Huber, T Caleb Tiernan, OL Blake Brandel, C Michael Jurgens

The center position has quickly become my biggest concern for this team, even more than safety. Nolan Teasley will have to pursue a center, likely via trade, to give the team desperately needed stability at the position. Brandel can return to his utility role, and the team will look to keep Michael Jurgens in his backup center spot.

Defensive Line (5)

DE: Caleb Banks, Jalen Redmond, Elijah Williams
DT: Domonique Orange, Levi Drake Rodriguez

Banks and Orange may see the field a ton in year one, but they’ll benefit greatly from the vets in the room rotating in and out. Levi Drake Rodriguez is an underrated space-eater, and Jalen Redmond is one of the most slept-on defensive players in the NFL.

OLB (5)

OLB: Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Bo Richter, TBD player

Standing pat here. The room needs some additional help before Week 1 to make me feel comfortable with the depth behind AVG and DT15. Ingram-Dawkins flashed his lengthy arms this week, swatting a Kyler Murray pass to Dallas Turner at Monday’s practice.

MLB (4)

MLB: Blake Cashman, Eric Wilson, Jake Golday, Ivan Pace Jr.,

Ivan Pace took some heat online for getting Moss’ed by Giants 6’4” rookie WR Malachi Fields in the end zone last weekend, but that was probably not an ideal scenario for the 5’10” linebacker. In reality, he’s had a solid camp. Jamal Adams’ switch to safety before his season-ending injury cracked the door for Pace; now it appears wide open.

Cornerback (4)

CB: Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, Charles Demmings, James Pierre

I’ve dropped this room down to four to accommodate the sudden urgency at safety. Chuck Demmings looks like an immediate impact player as a rookie, and James Pierre was an under-the-radar free-agent addition that could have a big payoff. Dwight McGlothern and Zemaiah Vaughn will be fighting for the final spot if the team rosters five cornerbacks.

CHUCK. DEMMINGS.

(Via Vikings IG) pic.twitter.com/1AxPx80aJ6
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) August 18, 2026

Safety (6)

S: Joshua Metellus, Theo Jackson, Jay Ward, Jakobe Thomas, Tavierre Thomas, Jacob Thomas

Predicting this room is an inexact science because there are a ton of moving parts. First, let's start with the fact that one of your safeties isn’t here to play safety at all.

Tavierre Thomas is a special teamer who may not ultimately make the team if another player steps up, which is entirely possible. Second, there’s the Adams injury. Adams had moved primarily to first-team safety before tearing his quad against the Giants last weekend.

Third, the mystery of a potential Harrison Smith return looms large. The team needs all the stability it can get in this room, and UDFA rookie Jacob Thomas is making his case to expand the safety room, recording an INT against the Giants while taking first-team reps with the defense on Monday.

BALLHAWKIN! @jacobthomassb22

📺: #MINvsNYG @FOX9 pic.twitter.com/O3mmVlu5eb
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 15, 2026

Special Teams (3)

K: Will Reichard
LS: Andrew DePaola
P: Johnny Hekker

I was all in on Brett Thorson before camp, and I still am. But it seems like a year developing as part of the NFL’s international player pathway and learning from Johnny Hekker may be the best move for the young punter. Will Reichard continues to inspire a level of faith that no reasonable Vikings fan should feel while watching their kicker line up.

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