Vikings' roles will shift with new blood

 While the Vikings addressed areas of need in the draft, they also created position battles by adding five players over seven rounds.

 Wide receiver Percy Harvin and tackle Phil Loadholt should make immediate contributions and impact who makes the 53-man roster. Cornerback Asher Allen will make things more interesting in the secondary. A look at how position battles might shape up:

The main catch: Selecting Harvin with the 22nd pick overall was definitely risk-reward, but what does it mean to the wide receiver corps?

Harvin is a dynamic playmaker who could be used in multiple spots, but primarily the slot. Bobby Wade, who has led the Vikings in receptions each of the past two seasons, is the main slot receiver and figures to see his role altered.

The Vikings' top four receivers are Bernard Berrian, Harvin, Wade and Sidney Rice. The team finished last season with five receivers on the roster, meaning there's room for one more. That means Aundrae Allison, Glenn Holt, Jaymar Johnson and Darius Reynaud and are going to be locked in a fierce battle. Holt, signed as a free agent from the Cincinnati Bengals, could have the inside track.

The big addition: The Vikings were thrilled they were able to get Loadholt at 54th overall, and he should be the starting right tackle.

This is an easy situation for the Vikings to manage. Ryan Cook started at right tackle last season but was benched at one point and likely will battle to remain on the roster. Veteran Artis Hicks briefly replaced Cook, but he's most valuable as a versatile backup. Cook's best chance might be to serve as the backup to new center John Sullivan.

Cornering the market: Drafting a cornerback in the third round did not come as a surprise, given the team's desire to add some youth (and possibly a future starter) there. Allen's arrival is going to create a logjam in the short term, and that will be good for competition. Charles Gordon, Marcus McCauley, Karl Paymah, Benny Sapp and Allen figure to vie for the job as the extra defensive back in passing situations. And that doesn't even include Marcus Walker, a practice squad member who is valued.

The Vikings ended last season with four cornerbacks on their 53-man roster. It's going to be a long shot that McCauley, a third-round pick in 2007, makes the roster. Paymah, who signed to a one-year, $1.55 million free-agent deal after four seasons with the Denver Broncos, is probably safe.

Man in the middle: The addition of fifth-round pick Jasper Brinkley gives the Vikings a backup to E.J. Henderson at middle linebacker. Heath Farwell, returning from injury, is the likely candidate to be the primary backup to Chad Greenway and Ben Leber at the outside positions. Brinkley's presence will be competition for David Herron, in particular. Other linebackers on the roster include Erin Henderson and Kenny Onatolu, who spent last season in the Canadian Football League.

A long shot: The Vikings' surprise seventh-round pick was safety Jamarca Sanford of Mississippi. Tyrell Johnson and Madieu Williams are expected to be the starters at safety, with Husain Abdullah, Eric Frampton and Sanford competing for the backup spots. Abdullah, signed as a rookie free agent last year, might push Johnson for the starting spot. Sanford could be headed for the practice squad.

Something special: Harvin, Allen, Brinkley and Sanford (if he makes the roster) will be counted on to contribute to a special-teams unit that gave up an NFL-record seven returns for touchdowns and didn't exactly set the world on fire in the return game. Harvin was not a return man at Florida, but it would not be surprising to see the Vikings try to turn him into their own version of the Bears' Devin Hester. Allen and Brinkley will be expected to contribute in all phases.