The Minnesota Vikings are less than five days from having everybody reporting to training camp and we are starting to enter the part of our countdown where these players will be making the 53-man roster.
The players in this group will be in a very interesting spot, as the are close to being fringe roster players. These are the more interesting players on the roster to watch during training camp, as they will be entrenched in tough battles.
55. WR Lucky Jackson
The Vikings brought in Jackson ahead of the 2023 season after the XFL (now UFL) season in between rookie minicamp and mandatory minicamp. He has been elevated to the active roster on numerous occasions, but has mostly been a valuable asset on the practice squad. He is now in the Trishton Jackson role where he's the fringe wide receiver that many believe should be on the roster. Will he earn that elusive roster spot? It'll take a great offseason to make it happen.
54. ILB Brian Asamoah
Right now, the Vikings have just three players from the 2022 NFL Draft class of 10 still on the roster, and he might not stick on the roster.
Asamoah looked like a player who was going to be a star on defense, especially after his forced fumble in the Christmas Eve game against the New York Giants as a rookie. However, things didn't quite work out in his favor. He struggled in the first year under Brian Flores and has been solely a special teams guy for the better part of the last two years.
With the selection of Kobe King in the sixth round, his job is on the line.
53. S Jay Ward
Going into year three, Ward is in an interesting spot on the roster. With the unexpected cornerback issues they had at the beginning of training camp last year, they tried out Ward in the slot, but it didn't work out very well. He stayed on the roster and served as a depth and special teams ace. The Vikings still believe in Ward, and only have five safeties on the roster, which essentially secures his roster spot unless he bombs during training camp.
52. DT Levi Drake Rodriguez
Rodriguez was a fan favorite once the Vikings selected him in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He was Kalyn Kahler's "Prospect X" and has a ridiculously infectious energy about him. The Vikings had him bulk up last year with a likely move to nose tackle, which pairs really well with his super hot motor. It's a really deep DT room, so Rodriguez' spot is far from guaranteed.
51. WR Jeshaun Jones
Jones was tied for the highest paid UDFA in 2024 and he was kept on the practice squad for a good portion of the season. With the wide receiver room being a spot that has some interesting depth, Jones has reportedly been standing out during the offseason program. He's now four years removed from back-to-back torn ACLs and has a skill set that head coach Kevin O'Connell can use for his offense.
-1752805088-q80.webp "Flyers' Egor Zavragin Badly Underrated in Latest Prospect Rankings")