The Minnesota Vikings are set to kick off training camp with the rookies set to report on Sunday, July 23rd and veterans on Tuesday, July 25th. With training camp brings a lot of positional battles.
Throughout training camp, there will be dozens of players fighting to take a roster spot from a veteran and some of them will succeed.
We took a look at each position and highlighted one veteran that is on the roster bubble.
Quarterback: Nick Mullens
Mullens signed a two-year contract this past offseason for $4 million. However, Jaren Hall was selected in the fifth round. With a really good preseason, the Vikings could be tempted to trade Mullens to add some draft capital and give Hall the backup quarterback job.
Running back: Kene Nwangwu
Nwangwu is an interesting player. He was selected in the fourth round in the 2021 NFL draft and had less than 150 carries at Iowa State. Considered a raw project with a lot of upside, Nwangwu hasn’t shown a lot of growth. With Ty Chandler and DeWayne McBride already better runners out of the backfield and multiple kick return options on the roster, Nwangwu is firmly on the chopping block.
Wide receiver: Jalen Reagor
A first-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, the Vikings traded for Reagor in hopes of maximizing his potential. He didn’t show any of that and struggled mightily as a wide receiver. Even though his near $2.5 million salary is fully guaranteed, Reagor is firmly on the chopping block.
Tight end: Johnny Mundt
The tight end room is slim with only four players there, but there is no guarantee that the Vikings will keep all of them. Mundt had some success early on in 2022 but fizzled out as the season wore on. He has the least amount of potential of the tight ends on the roster and is on the bubble.
Offensive tackle: Vederian Lowe
A sixth-round pick in 2022, Lowe made the roster in his rookie year and even played a few games. His competition at tackle is tough with Blake Brandel and Oli Udoh combining for a $2.3 million cap hit. If he doesn’t make the roster, Lowe is likely going to be added to the practice squad.
Interior offensive line: Austin Schlottmann
Schlottmann signed with the Vikings prior to the 2022 season, he started four games for the Vikings and played at replacement level. Unfortunately, he broke his ankle in week 17 against the Packers. That injury isn’t easy to come back from and he will need to come out swinging with both Chris Reed and UDFA Alan Ali coming for his roster spot.
Defensive line: James Lynch
The defensive line doesn’t have stars, but there is a lot of depth. Lynch is a talented player, but there isn’t anything special about his ability, nor is he a great athlete. That could end up costing him a roster spot.
Outside linebacker/Edge rusher: D.J. Wonnum
Even after trading Za’Darius Smith, the edge room has a decent amount of depth. With how the Vikings prioritized Andre Carter II and that they view him highly, Wonnum could become the odd man out. If they chose to let him go, it would save $2.74 million on the salary cap for a player that likely won’t be here next year and is average at best.
Linebacker: Troy Dye
The iniside linebacker position isn’t very strong and there is a lot of UDFA talent that the Vikings brought in, including Ivan Pace Jr. Dye only weighs 225 lbs and hasn’t shown a lot of growth in his three seasons.
Cornerback: Joejuan Williams
The cornerback group is deep with potential, but there isn’t anyone proven outside of Byron Murphy Jr. There are three draft picks in the last two years on the roster and a plethora of talented players fighting for a roster spot. Williams only signed a one-year contract and missed the entire 2022 season.
Safety: Josh Metellus
This is an interesting one, as Metellus was just used in three safety sub-packages in minicamp. He is on the last year of his contract and both Lewis Cine and Jay Ward were selected in the last two years. Even though he’s a special teams stalwart, Metellus offers the least upside with him and Camryn Bynum.
