Vikings release first depth chart of 2022 season

With their first preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders coming up on Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings have released their first depth chart of the 2022 season. Are there any surprises on it? Well, let’s take a look.

As the team’s website points out, the team’s defense is listed as a 3-4 for the first time in a couple of decades, so there’s a bit of a different feel to it. Backups are listed in the order that they appear on the depth chart, with a couple of positions listed as “OR,” apparently implying that a backup hasn’t been chosen yet.

Offense

Quarterback

Starter: Kirk Cousins

Backups: Sean Mannion OR Kellen Mond

Running Back

Starter: Dalvin Cook

Backups: Alexander Mattison, Kene Nwangwu, Ty Chandler, Bryant Koback

Fullback

Starter: C.J. Ham

Backup: Jake Bargas

Wide Receiver

Starters: Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson

Backups: K.J. Osborn and Ihmir Smith-Marsette; Bisi Johnson and Myron Mitchell; Trishton Jackson OR Jalen Nailor and Dan Chisena; Albert Wilson; Thomas Hennigan and Blake Proehl (Proehl is currently on the Active/PUP List)

Tight End

Starter: Irv Smith, Jr.

Backups: Johnny Mundt; Ben Ellefson; Zach Davidson; Nick Muse; Shaun Beyer

Offensive Tackles

Starters: Christian Darrisaw (LT) and Brian O’Neill (RT)

Backups: Blake Brandel (LT) and Olisaemeka Udoh (RT); Vederian Lowe (LT) and Timon Parris (RT)

Interior Offensive Linemen

Starters: Ezra Cleveland (LG), Garrett Bradbury (C) and Jesse Davis (RG)

Backups: Chris Reed (LG), Austin Schlottmann (C) and Ed Ingram (RG); Kyle Hinton (LG), Josh Sokol (C) and Wyatt Davis (RG)

Defense

Defensive Ends

Starters: Dalvin Tomlinson and Armon Watts

Backups: Jonathan Bullard and James Lynch; Jaylen Twyman and Esezi Otomewo; Jullian Taylor

Nose Tackles

Starter: Harrison Phillips

Backups: T.J. Smith; T.Y. McGill, Jr.; Tyarise Stevenson

Outside Linebackers

Starters: Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith

Backups: Pat Jones II and D.J. Wonnum; Luiji Vilain and Janarius Robinson; Andre Mintze and Zach McCloud

Inside Linebackers

Starters: Eric Kendricks (MLB) and Jordan Hicks (WLB)

Backups: Troy Dye (MLB) and Brian Asamoah II (WLB); Chazz Surratt (MLB) and Blake Lynch (WLB); Ryan Connelly (MLB — on Active/PUP list) and William Kwenkeu (WLB)

Cornerbacks

Starters: Patrick Peterson and Cameron Dantzler, Sr.

Backups: Chandon Sullivan and Andrew Booth, Jr.; Kris Boyd and Akayleb Evans; Parry Nickerson and Harrison Hand; Nate Hairston and Tye Smith

Safeties

Starters: Harrison Smith and Camryn Bynum

Backups: Lewis Cine and Josh Metellus; Myles Dorn and Mike Brown

Special Teams

Kicker

Starter: Greg Joseph

Punter/Holder

Starter: Jordan Berry

Backup: Ryan Wright

Long Snapper

Starter: Andrew DePaola

Kick Returner

Starter: Kene Nwangwu

Backups: K.J. Osborn, Ty Chandler

Punt Returner

Starter: Ihmir Smith-Marsette

Backup: Jalen Nailor

I’ll do some thoughts on the Vikings depth chart here in a separate post about things that stand out to me. But, heading into the preseason opener, that’s what the pecking order looks like.