Vikings Release 1st Unofficial Depth Chart of 2020 Season
EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings have released their first unofficial depth chart of the 2020 season.
Minnesota opens Week 1 with a home game against Green Bay, in the 120th overall meeting between the division rivals.
For reference, the Vikings offense is listed in "21 personnel" with two backs (a running back and fullback) and a tight end. That leaves two spots at receiver, along with a quarterback and the offensive line.
The Vikings defense, meanwhile, features starters in a base 4-3 scheme, which includes four linemen, three linebackers, two cornerbacks and two safeties.
OFFENSE (26 players listed as they appear on the unofficial depth chart)
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
Roster notes: All 11 listed starters were on the Vikings in 2019. Dozier won the starting left guard job in camp, beating out Aviante Collins, who is on the practice squad. Minnesota has five offensive starters who have made at least one Pro Bowl in their careers: Cousins, Cook, Ham, Thielen and Rudolph. Johnson is the starter at wide receiver opposite Thielen, but Jefferson is expected to be a contributor as a first-round rookie.
https://vikefans.com/discussion/#/discussion/11967/vikings-release-1st-unofficial-depth-chart-of-2020-season
DEFENSE (24 players listed as they appear on the unofficial depth chart)
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
Roster notes: The Vikings defense will begin the 2020 season with a mix of established veterans and exciting fresh faces. Hunter, Stephen, Barr, Kendricks, Smith and Harris have all played at least five seasons for Mike Zimmer. Ngakoue is among the newest Vikings, but he is a former Pro Bowl selection with 37.5 career sacks and 14 total forced fumbles. The cornerbacks are young — none are over the age of 23 — but offer plenty of potential. Zimmer said Monday the Vikings could add safety depth behind the league's top duo of Smith and Harris.
SPECIAL TEAMS (3 players)
Kicker
Dan Bailey
Punter/holder
Britton Colquitt
Long snapper
Austin Cutting
Kick returner
Starter: K.J. Osborn
Backup: Abdullah
Punt returner
Starter: K.J. Osborn
Backups: Beebe and Hughes
Roster notes: Minnesota's trio of specialists are all back from a season ago, when they formed one of the smoothest kicking operations in the league. Bailey ended the regular season and playoffs with 22 straight successful field goals. Colquitt had a gross average of 45.2 yards on 59 punts with no touchbacks and set the Vikings single-season record for net average at 42.6. Cutting was efficient and reliable as a rookie. Osborn, a fifth-round rookie, is listed as both the kick and punt returner after a strong camp. He returned 16 punts for 255 yards (15.9 average) and 10 kickoffs for 201 yards (20.1 average) in his senior season at Miami.
https://vikefans.com/discussion/#/discussion/11967/vikings-release-1st-unofficial-depth-chart-of-2020-season
Giddy up, lets play some football and let the chips fall where they may.
Anybody else unexciting about that offensive line? Elflein was one of the worst guards in football last year and Samia couldn't win that job? Dozier is just a journeyman. I would have loved to see Udoh and Cleveland somehow incorporated in there over Dozier and Elf. Maybe that will be the case as the year plays out but right now that's an ugly line
WR depth is a concern. We have a lot of them but nobody proven beyond Thielen, although I am confident Jefferson will break through. Lot of slot types. Im not a Tajae Sharpe fan. Would love to see us roll the dice on Hakeem Butler, who the Cardinals cut a year after taking him in the 4th round, and let him develop.
Not sure what they are doing at safety, but only keeping two is a concern.
Oline is a concern. we can have hope on a few fronts.
1 Kubes O will move Kirk more as well as use more misdirection and get the ball out.
2 Elf should fare slightly better in pass pro against strength vs speed, he is a good run blocker.
3 Dozier wasnt terrible last year and if he cant handle it I expect Cleveland will be tested.
@"Bullazin" said: Oline is a concern. we can have hope on a few fronts.1 Kubes O will move Kirk more as well as use more misdirection and get the ball out.
2 Elf should fare slightly better in pass pro against strength vs speed, he is a good run blocker.
3 Dozier wasnt terrible last year and if he cant handle it I expect Cleveland will be tested.
You wonder with the Covid training camp if they valued Dozier's familiarity with the NFL over the newer guys and if that wont change as the year progresses especially if he cannot handle it?
@"AGRforever" said:@"Bullazin" said: Oline is a concern. we can have hope on a few fronts.1 Kubes O will move Kirk more as well as use more misdirection and get the ball out.
2 Elf should fare slightly better in pass pro against strength vs speed, he is a good run blocker.
3 Dozier wasnt terrible last year and if he cant handle it I expect Cleveland will be tested.
You wonder with the Covid training camp if they valued Dozier's familiarity with the NFL over the newer guys and if that wont change as the year progresses especially if he cannot handle it?
If he cant handle it they wont have a choice...Good thing they're only play Z'Darius Smith and Kenny Clark this week :p
They absolutely crushed the Vikings at our stadium last year. One of the more embarrasing losses I've seen there since Buffalo game.
@"AGRforever" said:@"Bullazin" said: Oline is a concern. we can have hope on a few fronts.1 Kubes O will move Kirk more as well as use more misdirection and get the ball out.
2 Elf should fare slightly better in pass pro against strength vs speed, he is a good run blocker.
3 Dozier wasnt terrible last year and if he cant handle it I expect Cleveland will be tested.
You wonder with the Covid training camp if they valued Dozier's familiarity with the NFL over the newer guys and if that wont change as the year progresses especially if he cannot handle it?
It wasn't posted here but I read a few days ago quotes from Zimmer about Dozier. He said he's in better shape and is showing more 'force' at the point of attack. Dozier said that he feels like a different player having changed his eating habits and work outs over the offseason.I have zero idea if its bullshit or not, but that's what I read recently. Either Strib or Pioneer Press.
@"StickyBun" said:@"AGRforever" said:@"Bullazin" said: Oline is a concern. we can have hope on a few fronts.1 Kubes O will move Kirk more as well as use more misdirection and get the ball out.
2 Elf should fare slightly better in pass pro against strength vs speed, he is a good run blocker.
3 Dozier wasnt terrible last year and if he cant handle it I expect Cleveland will be tested.
You wonder with the Covid training camp if they valued Dozier's familiarity with the NFL over the newer guys and if that wont change as the year progresses especially if he cannot handle it?
It wasn't posted here but I read a few days ago quotes from Zimmer about Dozier. He said he's in better shape and is showing more 'force' at the point of attack. Dozier said that he feels like a different player having changed his eating habits and work outs over the offseason.I have zero idea if its bullshit or not, but that's what I read recently. Either Strib or Pioneer Press.
That would be good news. Let's face it, it's not going to be hard for Dozier to improve upon Elflein's performance there last season. I guess the bigger test is Elflein holding the point on what we got from Kline last year. Who, by the way, is still a free agent! I think there are some Xs and Os going on with Kline that PFF and the rest of us just aren't aware of.
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