The Minnesota Vikings released their first unofficial depth chart of the season on Monday and just like when they made moves to get down to their final 53-man roster, there were several surprises heading into the Week 1 matchup with the Green Bay Packers.
The first surprise may be the status of first-round selection Justin Jefferson. Despite a strong drumbeat at the start of training camp, Jefferson has slid behind Bisi Johnson for the second receiver spot.
All hope for a quick start isn’t lost for Jefferson, however as he’s listed as the third receiver ahead of Tajaé Sharpe, Chad Beebe, Dan Chisena, and K.J. Osborn.
Another area of note is at cornerback where veterans Mike Hughes and Holton Hill are listed as starters. That’s where things get interesting, however, as fellow first-round pick, Jeff Gladney is listed as the No. 3 cornerback ahead of Dantzler.
Much like Jefferson, Dantzler put together his own highlight reel early in camp but had his share of good and bad days. As Gladney has recovered from offseason surgery to fix a torn meniscus, he’s gained reps and could be a better fit to operate out of the slot over the 6-foot-3 Dantzler.
Despite the release of the chart, there’s still a chance it could change prior to Week 1 as the Vikings will look for depth, primarily at the safety position where Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris are the only players on the roster.
But the rest of the depth chart looks true to form and all 11 offensive starters were on the team a year ago, a sign of the need for continuity after an abnormal offseason due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
OFFENSE
Quarterback
Starter: Kirk Cousins
Backup: Sean Mannion
Running back
Starter: Dalvin Cook
Backups: Alexander Mattison, Ameer Abdullah, Mike Boone
Fullback
Starter: C.J. Ham
Wide receiver
Starters: Adam Thielen and Bisi Johnson
Backups: Justin Jefferson, Tajaé Sharpe, Chad Beebe, Dan Chisena and K.J. Osborn
Tight end
Starter: Kyle Rudolph
Backups: Irv Smith, Jr. and Tyler Conklin
Offensive line
Starters: Riley Reiff, Dakota Dozier, Garrett Bradbury, Pat Elflein and Brian O’Neill
Backups: Rashod Hill, Ezra Cleveland, Dru Samia and Oli Udoh
DEFENSE
Defensive end
Starters: Danielle Hunter and Yannick Ngakoue
Backups: Ifeadi Odenigbo, Jalyn Holmes, Eddie Yarbrough and D.J. Wonnum
Defensive tackle
Starters: Shamar Stephen and Jaleel Johnson
Backups: Armon Watts, Hercules Mata’afa and James Lynch
Linebacker
Starters: Anthony Barr (SLB), Eric Kendricks (MLB) and Eric Wilson (WLB)
Backups: Troy Dye and Ryan Connelly
Cornerback
Starters: Mike Hughes and Holton Hill
Backups: Jeff Gladney, Cameron Dantzler, Kris Boyd and Harrison Hand
Safety
Starters: Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker
Dan Bailey
Punter/holder
Britton Colquitt
Long snapper
Austin Cutting
Kick returner
Starter: K.J. Osborn
Backup: Ameer Abdullah
Punt returner
Starter: K.J. Osborn
Backups: Chad Beebe and Mike Hughes
