The Minnesota Vikings will finish the preseason against the Denver Broncos on Saturday night, but there won’t be many familiar faces on the field.
The Vikings announced they will hold out 33 players for Saturday’s game, giving the first clue at who might be locks for the 53-man roster.
33 #Vikings are not expected to play in tonight's preseason finale. pic.twitter.com/HdzAGerLrx
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 27, 2022
While most of those names are probably safe, there are others that might not make the cut. For instance, Chazz Surratt, Jonathan Bullard, Dan Chisnea and Janarius Robinson are likely being held out due to injury.
The remaining players are where things get interesting. Kellen Mond and Sean Mannion will battle for the final quarterback spot after turning in an abysmal performance against the San Francisco 49ers last week.
With Mannion’s presence as a mentor to Kirk Cousins, it will be an uphill battle for Mond to make the roster, although he possesses more upside.
Mond could be one of several casualties from the 2021 draft class where three of Rick Spielman’s four third-round picks could be on the chopping block. In addition to Surratt and Mond, Wyatt Davis appears to be playing for a roster spot after playing deep into the game during the first two weeks of the preseason.
Another position to watch on Saturday will be cornerback. The Vikings are pretty much set with Cameron Dantzler, Patrick Peterson, and Andrew Booth Jr. but the final spots behind them will provide intrigue on Saturday night.
Kris Boyd should have the inside track thanks to his ability on special teams and Akayleb Evans should make the cut thanks to his status as a fourth-round pick. Parry Nickerson and Nate Hairston will try to change that but both players would need a big performance to make the roster.
The defensive line also has some interesting decisions to make as Patrick Jones II appears to be a lock but James Lynch and Jaylen Twyman will be battling for a spot.
There aren’t many other players that are on the roster bubble, but for a game that will lack intrigue, these battles could take center stage on Saturday night.
