Cameron Dantzler is on injured reserve. Akayleb Evans will miss a second consecutive game with a concussion. Andrew Booth Jr. is out with knee soreness.
That means the Vikings are down to their fourth-string outside cornerback opposite Patrick Peterson this week. The next man up against the Patriots? Duke Shelley, a 5'9", 26-year-old corner who played hero in overtime against the Bills. Head coach Kevin O'Connell said on Tuesday that Shelley would start if Evans and Booth were both ruled out, and that's the case.
Shelley, a Chicago Bears sixth-round pick out of Kansas State in 2019, has started games before. He started two games in 2020 and four last year for the Bears, playing over 600 defensive snaps across those two seasons. Shelley was waived in final roster cuts this year, signed with the Vikings' practice squad, and was signed to the active roster the day before the Bills game. Inserted for Booth in overtime, he made a huge play to keep the Vikings alive.
Next up behind Shelley on the depth chart is Kris Boyd, a core special teams player. The Vikings will almost certainly elevate Parry Nickerson and/or Tay Gowan from the practice squad for depth purposes.
We already knew left tackle Christian Darrisaw (concussion) wasn't going to play in this game. But it's a positive sign that defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson (calf) is listed as questionable after missing each of the last three games. The Vikings could really use him in the middle of their defensive line, but they'll need to make sure he's truly ready to play. If he doesn't play, Tomlinson would have another ten days to get close to 100 percent for Week 13 against the Jets.
For the Patriots, OL Isaiah Wynn is out and four players — C David Andrews, WR DeVante Parker, CB/PR Marcus Jones, and OL Yodny Cajuste — are questionable. New England could be pretty depleted on its offensive line.
Here's the full injury report ahead of Thursday night's game:
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