The Minnesota Vikings open the 2022 NFL regular season against the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 11 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
It will mark the first time since 2005 in which former general manager Rick Spielman is not involved in the composition of the final 53-man roster. Instead, a pair of new faces -- general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O'Connell -- will make those decisions in September.
Adofo-Mensah and O'Connell opted not to overhaul the roster they inherited this spring, instead supplementing it with a 10-man draft class and a handful of second-tier free agents.
Here is an early projection of the final 53-man roster, based on limited observations during OTAs and minicamp:
QUARTERBACK (3): Kirk Cousins, Sean Mannion, Kellen Mond
It wouldn't have been surprising to see the Vikings tweak the quarterback depth chart, especially with a former NFL quarterback now in place as the head coach. Perhaps O'Connell wanted to see Mannion and Mond on the field in person before making any judgments. But from the available evidence, there is nothing to suggest a change from the 2021 arrangement - with Mond possessing too much potential to expose to waivers for a spot on the practice squad.
RUNNING BACK (5): Ty Chandler, Dalvin Cook, C.J. Ham (fullback), Alexander Mattison, Kene Nwangwu
Nwangwu was a special teams star last season but figures to get more involved in the offense in 2022. That opens the door for Chandler, who is going to have to prove that he can contribute to special teams. Draft picks always have momentum to make a final roster, especially at this time of year.
WIDE RECEIVER (6): Justin Jefferson, Bisi Johnson, K.J. Osborn, Jalen Nailor, Adam Thielen, Albert Wilson
The locks here are Jefferson, Thielen and probably Osborn. Johnson looked great this spring in his return from a torn ACL and would seem likely to be in line for a role as a slot receiver. The remaining two are based on youth/upside and special teams -- Nailor was a 2022 6th-round draft pick, and Wilson could serve as the Vikings' punt returner -- but Ihmir Smith-Marsette has a chance as well.
TIGHT END (4):Irv Smith Jr., Ben Ellefson, Johnny Mundt, Nick Muse
This is a tricky spot. The Vikings are clearly counting on Smith, who missed all of last season because of a right knee injury, to be a major contributor. Mundt played for O'Connell last season with the Rams, so you can expect him to have a prominent role. Muse, a rookie, will get a chance to be a cheap special teams contributor, and Ellefson sneaks in for the time being, at least.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Garrett Bradbury, Ezra Cleveland, Christian Darrisaw, Jesse Davis, Ed Ingram, Vederian Lowe, Brian O'Neill, Chris Reed, Austin Schlottmann
The Vikings' depth at offensive line could very well be derived from a series of free-agent moves and draft choices. It's hard to imagine them letting their two rookies -- Ingram and Lowe -- be exposed to waivers. Reed can play multiple spots, as can Schlottmann. That's assuming Davis wins the right guard job, where he took almost all of the first-team repetitions this spring. Four of the five starting positions (Darrisaw at left tackle, Cleveland at left guard, Bradbury at center and O'Neill at right tackle) -- are locked in.
DEFENSIVE LINE (5): Esezi Otomewo, Harrison Phillips, Dalvin Tomlinson, Armon Watts
Part of the calculus here is understanding just how much the Vikings will be in their 3-4 base versus a four-man front or some other nickel/dime combination. That will determine how important it is to have depth at this position. But as always, position flexibility will be important, and the Vikings have high hopes that Otomewo can play outside in the base and slide inside when they are in 4-3 alignments. Phillips and Tomlinson figure to get the highest number of snaps in this group.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER (5): Danielle Hunter, Patrick Jones II, Janarius Robinson, Za'Darius Smith, D.J. Wonnum.
Depth will be key here, given the recent injury history of the starters, Hunter and Smith. Wonnum emerged as a force with eight sacks last season as a 4-3 end, and he'll have to show that he can make the transition to outside linebacker in the 3-4. Robinson and Jones are 2021 draft choices who will get a chance to show they belong in a new scheme as well.
INSIDE LINEBACKER (4): Brian Asamoah, Eric Kendricks, Jordan Hicks, Troy Dye.
We're still waiting to see how the Vikings will deploy their inside linebackers as part of their 3-4 scheme. Will they be in the base enough to merit keeping more than four on their final roster? That remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: The speedy Asamoah will push for playing time behind Kendricks and Hicks.
CORNERBACK (6): Andrew Booth Jr., Cameron Dantzler, Akayleb Evans, Patrick Peterson, Chandon Sullivan, Tye Smith
There is a lot here to sort out in training camp, but the informed assumption is that the Vikings aren't going to cut either of the cornerbacks they drafted this spring. That means near-roster locks for Booth, who could be a starter, and Evans. Sullivan got most of the work at nickel back this spring, but that could be because Booth was in medical protocols after offseason core surgery.
SAFETY (4): Cam Bynum, Lewis Cine, Harrison Smith, Josh Metellus
Had they not drafted Cine in April with the No. 32 overall pick, Bynum would have been in line to start alongside Smith. Now, that spot will be the subject of a pretty intense training camp competition. It's also possible that all three could be on the field in certain situations. Regardless, the Vikings will have strong depth at the position.
SPECIALIST (3): Jordan Berry, Andrew DePaola, Greg Joseph
As with quarterbacks, it was a bit surprising to see this group left largely untouched this offseason. Punters, kickers and long-snappers can be replaced at any time -- especially once roster churn begins in late August -- but the Vikings have certainly cleared the way for the 2021 incumbents to keep their jobs.