Getty The Vikings must-avoid draft mistake falls on the defense this offseason.
The Vikings released their first depth chart of the 2020 season on Monday— a welcomed formality as fans continue to speculate what roster moves the team could make before the Vikings’ Week 1 border battle with the Packers.
The usual suspects make up the starting roster, but the cornerback position was expected to see a rookie in the starting mix after the Vikings released all three starting corners in Xavier Rhodes, Mackenzie Alexander and Trae Waynes.
Coach Mike Zimmer, notorious for his reputation of not starting rookie cornerbacks, did not yield a starting spot to either of the rookie corners who expect to take on a major role in their first season. Third-rounder Cameron Dantzler was one of Vikings training camps biggest stars and Jeff Gladney, drafted in the first round, came on strong and has shown no signs of rust from an offseason meniscus surgery.
The Vikings first depth chart was a 4-3 scheme, including four linemen, three linebackers, two cornerbacks and two safeties. While the NFL has become more of a passing league, the Vikings often opt to field three cornerbacks and two linebackers instead. Dantzler or Gladney will likely be the third cornerback introduced to the lineup in that case.
As expected, Bisi Johnson was named the starting wide receiver opposite of Adam Thielen with Justin Jefferson listed as the No. 3 wide receiver.
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Full Depth Chart
Here’s the full depth chart, provided by Vikings.com.
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.
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
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Trevor Squire is a Heavy contributor covering the Minnesota Vikings and journalism graduate from the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities. Connect with him on Twitter @trevordsquire and join our Vikings community at Heavy on Vikings on Facebook.