With the start of the Vikings season just over a week away, let’s take a look at how their offense will look. Kevin O’Connell and co. have come in with a new offensive scheme. O’Connell looks to change the offense from an old school run first style, into something that will not only work but succeed in 2022 league and beyond. The Vikings have also released their initial 53-man roster. With that let’s take a look at what each position looks like and what to expect from each one this season.
Quarterback
This spot was one not in question (or at least for the starting spot anyway). Kirk Cousins is the Vikings starter. Backing up Cousins is the recently acquired Nick Mullens. The Vikings traded for Mullens back on August 22nd, with both of their former backups struggling during camp and pre-season. Both Mond (Cleveland) and Mannion (Seattle) are gone and have been picked up by other teams, leaving Cousins and Mullens the only two quarterbacks on the roster at the moment.
The Vikings are expected to sign former Lions quarterback David Blough to their practice squad to give them a little extra depth at the position.
Running Back
Another position on the team that is in good hands. Dalvin Cook leads the way for the Vikings, going into his sixth season with Minnesota. Also, on the roster are running backs Alexander Mattison, Kene Nwangwu, and Ty Chandler. The Vikings rookie running back, Ty Chandler has been very impressive so far during pre-season. Even with a strong camp though Chandler isn’t expected to see much playing as of right now.
Mattison has been the center of trade rumors recently. The selection of Ty Chandler out of North Carolina in this year’s draft, has sparked interest in teams to see if Mattison was available. The Vikings have since said that they are listening to offers on the running back. It has been rumored that 12 teams are interested in Mattison. There is no sign that he will be gone by the start of the season or by the trade deadline but given the moves Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has already this offseason, it could happen sooner than later, if his actions have anything to say about it.
Full Back
C.J. Ham is currently the only full back on the 53-man roster as of right now. Ham, like Cook, is entering his sixth season with the Vikings. In his six-year career in Minnesota, Ham has started in 29 out of the 79 games he has appeared in. Ham has had 524 yards receiving, 90 yards rushing, and three touchdowns. While there was some concern that Ham would no longer have a role in the Vikings offense under O’Connell, coaches were impressed and made sure he would still have a spot on the team come Week 1.
Wide Receiver
The Vikings boast a very strong wide receiving core. Minnesota’s top three receivers are Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and K.J. Osborn. With the recent acquisition of Jalen Reagor from the Eagles, he has assumed the fourth spot on the current depth chart. The only other wide receiver on the Vikings current 53-man roster is Jalen Nailor. The Vikings released Ihmir Smith-Marsette after trading for Reagor. Today, Smith-Marsette was signed by the Chicago Bears.
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The Vikings have two wide receivers on the IR at the moment in Bisi Johnson and Thomas Hennigan. Bisi Johnson will be missing the entire season with a torn ACL. Johnson missed all of last season with an ACL tear. This is not a good sign for the receiver suffering back-to-back ACL tears. Even without Johnson, the Vikings have some good depth as of now in their receiving core. Jefferson is on the best receivers in the league and Thielen is one of the most reliable and consistent receivers as well.
Tight End
The Minnesota Vikings currently have three tight ends on their roster. Tight ends Irv Smith Jr., Johnny Mundt and Ben Ellefson make up the group. Irv Smith Jr. suffered a thumb injury that required surgery back in early August. Even with the injury, Smith seems to be on track to start week one against the Packers. If he is unable to start, then Mundt and Ellefson will need to step up in his temporary absence. Smith Jr. is expected to have a good season under the new offensive regime. In his first two years in Minnesota Smith has had 693 yards receiving and seven touchdowns. Smith missed all of the 2021 season with a knee injury. If Smith can stay healthy, he should complement a strong receiving core with his talents.
Offensive Line
This is the area that has had the most happening this offseason. The Vikings have had issues at center, to the point of looking to either sign or trade for one. There have also been some battles and some movement with players being traded. The Vikings offensive line has been a bit wild so far, so let’s see how things are looking right now.
Guard
Ezra Cleveland and Ed Ingram will be the starters at guard. Cleveland will be at left guard while Ingram will be at right. The LSU rookie Ingram beat out former Viking offensive linemen Jesse Davis. Ingram’s starting spot was solidified when the Vikings traded Davis to Pittsburgh for a pair of draft picks.
Backing them up is Chris Reed. The Vikings don’t have much depth at guard, so an injury could really hurt the offensive line if Cleveland or Ingram go down during the season.
Tackle
Starting at tackle will be Christian Darrisaw and Brain O’Neill. Darrisaw will be at left tackle while O’Neill will be starting at right. Backing up Darrisaw will be Blake Brandel and Vederian Lowe. For O’Neill, Olisaemeka Udoh will be backing up him. The Vikings have a lot more depth here than at guard, a good sign to help aid either position should injuries occur.
Center
Ah, the center of attention (pun not intended). The Vikings center battle has been rough this offseason. Garrett Bradbury struggled at camp and during pre-season. It was to the point that the Vikings were looking to either sign or trade for a center because Bradbury was looking so bad. It seems at the moment though that nothing is going to happen as Bradbury currently is the starting center on the Vikings initial roster. Backing up Bradbury are Austin Schlottmann and Chris Reed. We will have to wait and see whether or not Kwesi Adofo-Mensah decides to make a move before the season starts or if he decides to go with Bradbury for the season.
Summary
With that, the Vikings offense is looking good with a little over a week away from the start of the season. The positions of quarterback, running back, and wide receiver are looking great and have a lot of veteran players and leaders. The positions of tight end, tackle and guard all look to be good with some young players stepping up. The center spot is still in question and whether or not the Vikings will actually make a move before the season starts or if they will hope for the best with Bradbury at center remains to be seen. There is still time and the Vikings have been making some smaller moves by making trades and signing free agents. Hopefully all goes well this season, especially with an offense that looks this good.
