The Minnesota Vikings’ 2024 preseason is over; three games went much better than in previous years.
6 Vikings 2024 Preseason Winners
Minnesota begins the regular season in two weeks at MetLife Stadium against the New York Giants.
The value of these players increased during the preseason — Depth Chart Placement Winner — with squad cuts in two days. They are listed alphabetically.
1. Levi Drake Rodriguez (DT)
Drake Rodriguez was responsible for things like this all summer long:
He is on the verge of being added to the Vikings’ 53-man roster as a 7th-round draft pick, and his motivation is undeniable. The athlete boasted about Drake Rodriguez as “Prospect X” before the draft, and the hype was justified.
2. Trishton Jackson (WR)
Jackson made waves in the preseason when he gained 100 yards in limited playing time against the Las Vegas Raiders two weeks ago. He also performed excellently in training camp. He is simply good and even has the support of Justin Jefferson.
After Minnesota’s joint practice with the Cleveland Browns last week, Jefferson cheered on his 27-year-old teammate: “He’s a real guy. He’s from Detroit. He has that Detroit mentality. Just the way he comes to work every day – he’s a basketball player, so he knows how to move and how to get free.”
“He’s the ball-catching point, he’s definitely making plays out there. He’s on film every time, so the more he’s on film, the more chances he has to be on the field on Sundays,” Jefferson added.
In his fourth year with the Vikings – yes, that’s a true statement – Jackson seems to be on the verge of his breakthrough, at least to some degree.
3. Dwight McGlothern (centre back)
It’s not entirely certain, but McGlothern has a good chance of making the active roster. If he ends up there, he would almost certainly be kicked off the practice squad.
In addition, there are no other top cornerbacks on the Vikings’ roster after Stephon Gilmore and Byron Murphy. Many cornerbacks are hoping to make the roster, but no one has a firm grasp on them.
He made a particularly great impression in the second warm-up game:
4. Kene Nwangwu (RB)
Nwangwu has been used as a ball carrier this preseason, so much so that he seems to be more than “just a kick returner.” He even scored that touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders in the first preseason game.
A week later, Nwangwu had 45 rushing yards on 7 attempts against the Cleveland Browns reserve defense, an impressive mark of 6.4 yards per attempt.
This guy just has to be Minnesota’s RB3 in 2024.
5. Bo Richter (OLB)
While promising UDFA Gabriel Murphy has been hampered by injuries and barely made an impact over the summer, Air Force’s Bo Richter has been making headlines – so much so that he could be in line for a roster spot when the regular-season roster is released in two days.
Richter played like a madman in the preseason, and it may seem unfair to let him join the practice squad. Another team could easily poach him. Many believed Murphy would earn a roster spot, but Richter seems to have stolen the show on the UDFA front.
The new Viking has recorded a few sacks in preseason games against the Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns, spectacular plays that stood out. Before the showdown with the Raiders, most casual Vikings fans had no idea what a “Bo Richter” was – until he recorded 6 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, a QB hit and a sack against Las Vegas.
6. Taki Taimani (DT)
Taimani was ranked 10th on Bleacher Report’s Week 2 preseason rookies list.
This site took notice of him this week and added Taimani to the list, even though most NFL fans have no idea who he is. “Nose tackle is not a glamorous position. These interior defenders have to do the dirty work while everyone else plays around them,” wrote BR’s Brent Sobleski. “Taki Taimani went undrafted in the NFL Draft. Lane cloggers are still necessary in today’s game, although their value has dropped drastically with the proliferation of effective passing attacks.”
“Taimani turns 25 in October and does little to nothing when it comes to sack production. But he’s a grown man when it comes to defending the run, holding the point of attack and swallowing double coverage, so he’s been a real challenge throughout the preseason,” Sobleski continued. “Plus, Taimani has shown he can contain the pocket. He’s not a strong pass rusher inside by any means, but he can push some blockers back to clog the pocket.”
Due to a lack of depth at nose tackle, Taimani could make a splash and earn a spot on the 53-man roster. The University of Oregon listed Taimani at 330 pounds last year, and if that’s true, he would be the heaviest player on Minnesota’s defense. Why does that matter? Well, Brian Flores’ defense has no true nose tackles, and you’d think having such a player would be beneficial in certain situations to stop the run.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist and graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube channel. VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis and opinions on all things purple team related, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Viking obsession dates back to 1996. Listed secret passions: Peanut butter ice cream, “The Sopranos,” Basset Hounds and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information from OverTheCap.com.
