Vikings roster projection: Which 53 players will make the cut?

The Vikings are entering a pivotal stretch of August with two joint practices against the New England Patriots this week and another preseason game ahead.

By 3 p.m. on Aug. 26, all NFL teams must trim rosters down to an initial 53 players. That gives hopefuls about two weeks to stake their claim. General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings’ many talent evaluators will be not only eyeing their own roster, but all those other rosters that could offer additional help.

After roughly three weeks of camp and one preseason game, here’s a 53-man roster projection based on where we stand now.

J.J. McCarthy, Sam Howell, Max Brosmer

Waived: Brett Rypien

I’m not entirely sure Howell will make the 53-man roster even after he completed 11 of 13 passes for 105 yards against the Texans. He hasn’t been consistent in practices and may need to keep improving in this week’s joint practices with the Patriots to prevent the front office from adding a different QB2 option as other teams trim rosters later this month. It appears to be a coin flip between Brett Rypien and Max Brosmer, the former Gopher who made a pair of impressive throws in the end zone against Houston on Saturday. Rypien, a seventh-year NFL veteran, is the more experienced option should O’Connell prefer to have him with the 22-year-old McCarthy.

Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, Zavier Scott, C.J. Ham

The top duo is set with Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, the newcomer from San Francisco who will give a little thud to the backfield. I’m far from the only media member projecting Scott, the third-year undrafted back, to edge out Chandler, the 2022 sixth-round pick. Scott has had an impressive camp, and that translated into seven carries for 40 yards against Houston. Chandler has struggled as a runner over the past year, and he hasn’t been known for his third-down work.

Justin Jefferson, Jalen Nailor, Tai Felton, Lucky Jackson, Jeshaun Jones

Suspended: Jordan Addison

Waived: Thayer Thomas, Silas Bolden, Tim Jones, Myles Price, Dontae Fleming, Robert Lewis

With Rondale Moore facing another long recovery and Jordan Addison suspended for the first three games, the Vikings are a little thin at receiver. Lucky Jackson, the former XFL receiver entering his third season in Minnesota, has consistently run with the first-team offense ahead of the rookie Tai Felton, Jeshaun Jones, and the rest. In this projection, I leaned toward the Vikings keeping Jones — Felton’s former Maryland teammate — for depth during Addison’s absence. Silas Bolden, the undrafted rookie out of Texas, may have to win the punt returner job to make the initial 53-man roster.

PUP list: Gavin Bartholomew

Waived: Giovanni Ricci, Nick Vannett, Bryson Nesbit

The No. 3 job appears wide open. Ben Yurosek, the undrafted signee who got guaranteed money of a sixth-round draft pick ($254,000), gets the nod in this projection over Nick Vannett, a 10th-year veteran who signed this month for depth with T.J. Hockenson (hip) and the sixth-round rookie Gavin Bartholomew (back) nursing injuries. Bartholomew could start the season on the physically unable to perform list because of a back injury, forcing him to miss at least four games.

T Christian Darrisaw, G Donovan Jackson, C Ryan Kelly, G Will Fries, T Brian O’Neill, G/T Blake Brandel, C/G Michael Jurgens, T Justin Skule, T Walter Rouse

Waived: G Henry Byrd, C/G Joe Huber, G Vershon Lee, T Matt Nelson, C/G Zeke Correll

OLB Jonathan Greenard, OLB Andrew Van Ginkel, OLB Dallas Turner, OLB Bo Richter, OLB Gabe Murphy, DT Harrison Phillips, DT Jonathan Allen, DT Javon Hargrave, DT Levi Drake Rodriguez, DT Jalen Redmond, DT Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins

Waived: DT Taki Taimani, OLB Tyler Batty, DT Elijah Williams, DT Travis Bell, OLB Chaz Chambliss

The defensive line, to me, was the most difficult call. Before Saturday, I had the team keeping seven interior defenders (with Taki Taimani) and four edge rushers. My thinking was Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, the rookie fifth-round pick, can play some edge. Coaches have moved him inside and outside the D-line during camp. But both Gabe Murphy, on defense, and Bo Richter, on special teams, made plays against Houston. The Vikings also had one of the NFL’s best run defenses last year while Taimani, an undrafted run stopper who made the 2024 team, was mostly on injured reserve. Tyler Batty, the Vikings’ top undrafted signee out of BYU, has a strong case, too, as a physical edge rusher who has made his presence known in camp.

Blake Cashman, Ivan Pace Jr., Eric Wilson, Brian Asamoah II, Kobe King

Waived: Austin Keys, Dorian Mausi

CB Byron Murphy Jr., CB Isaiah Rodgers, CB Jeff Okudah, CB Mekhi Blackmon, CB Dwight McGlothern, S Harrison Smith, S Josh Metellus, S Theo Jackson, S Jay Ward, S Tavierre Thomas

Waived: CB Zemaiah Vaughn, CB/S Kahlef Hailassie, S Mishael Powell, CB Ambry Thomas, S Gervarrius Owens, CB Reddy Steward, CB Keenan Garber

These weren’t easy calls. The Vikings guaranteed Zemaiah Vaughn, the undrafted rookie out of Utah, nearly $250,000; only Batty and Yurosek got more from the Vikings in this year’s undrafted class. But there hasn’t been any production or reps that have jumped out from him so far. The riser has been Kahlef Hailassie, who is on his third NFL team in three years. He’s mostly played cornerback, but he’s recently transitioned to safety, where he nabbed two interceptions off Texans quarterback Graham Mertz on Saturday. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores likes that kind of versatility. But for now, I still have Tavierre Thomas, who led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in special teams snaps last season, making it as a steady, 29-year-old veteran who got $1 million guaranteed from the Vikings in March.

K Will Reichard, P Ryan Wright, LS Andrew DePaola

International spot: P Oscar Chapman