Today, August 19, PurplePTSDs Janik Eckardt answers three questions about the current Minnesota Vikings. If you have questions for future editions of the Questions and answers about Purpleplease send it by email to (email protected).
Purple Q&A: Levi Drake’s place in the roster, Stephon Gilmore in the starting lineup, undrafted rookies
Let us delve into this.
Q: Has Levi Drake Rodriguez done enough to earn a spot on the roster?
A: Yes. Unlike first round draft picks, seventh round players are not guaranteed to make the 53-man roster in their rookie season, but if they show promise in training camp and the preseason, they will stick around.
Rodriguez plays with heart and drive, has impressive speed and will be part of the team’s defensive line next season. The Texas A&M Commerce junior is part of a DL list that currently includes ten players.
- Harrison Phillips
- Jerry Tillery
- Jonathan Bullard
- Jonah Williams
- Jacqueline Roy
- Levi Drake Rodriguez
- Tyler Manoa
- Taki Taimani
- James Lynch
- Jalen Redmond
Phillips, Tillery and Bullard should be considered the three best players on the entire line. Veteran Jonah Williams and last year’s fifth-round pick Jaquelin Roy are Rodriguez’s main competition for a roster spot. Still, he has shown enough to be included when general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah trims the roster down to 53 players.
Q: Is Stephon Gilmore a guaranteed starter?
A: Yes. Veteran cornerback Gilmore signed a contract worth up to $10 million, and the Vikings wouldn’t have paid that much money to a soon-to-be 34-year-old cornerback if they thought he was a backup player.
Byron Murphy and Gilmore are firmly established in the starting lineup. If defensive coordinator Brian Flores uses three CBs, one of the aforementioned trio of Griffin, Evans and Moreau will assume outside responsibilities, allowing Murphy to move to the slot.
Gilmore is no longer the elite All-Pro cornerback he was in 2018 and 2019, but he is still a reliable player at his position. His veteran experience and ability to play man coverage will give the entire defense a boost.
Q: Which undrafted rookie has the highest chance of making the team?
A: Dwight McGlothern.
There is a long history of undrafted players excelling in the Twin Cities; Ivan Pace was just the most recent example. John Randle and Mick Tingelhoff are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Dwight McGlothern still has a long way to go to repeat their success, but after two great preseason games and many winning encounters in training camp, making the 53-man roster is within reach.
The former Arkansas and LSU player has the length and ball skills to excel at cornerback. His footage from the two outings showed a lot of good things and it’s not too crazy to predict a bright future for the 21-year-old. The Vikings can’t afford to lose him to waivers, so putting him on the practice squad isn’t an option.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and statistics. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their then quarterback Christian Ponder. He is a walking football encyclopedia, enjoys watching sitcoms and prefers classic rock to other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
