Minnesota Vikings projected depth chart going into mandatory minicamp highlights fascinating battles at crucial positions

Offense

The interesting thing with the quarterback position to me isn’t whether or not Murray or McCarthy wins it, but rather if McCarthy will be QB2 or QB3. There was some speculation earlier this offseason that McCarthy may end up being QB3 if he loses the job, and it wouldn’t be the worst idea. That way, Murray wouldn’t end up feeling pressured during the game if he throws an interception.

The two areas to watch are at WR4 and RB3. After the signing of Jauan Jennings, he is the established WR3. Felton and Myles Price are the incumbent receivers who are likely slotted into WR4 and WR5. However, Bell has been making waves across OTAs, getting praise from multiple beat writers, and don’t sleep on Fleming.

Everyone is going to want to see Claiborne, but he’s built to look good in shorts. How good he will be in the NFL won’t be seen during minicamp, but rather once the pads go on.

Defense

There aren’t a lot of major question marks with the defense. Brian Flores’ unit isn’t the strongest in terms of depth at every position, but it does have a lot of intriguing depth pieces.

The two positions where things could be interesting are defensive line and safety. Additions on the defensive line are intriguing, with Johnson and Loudermilk essentially moving Ingram-Dawkins to the edge position. We likely won’t see Banks participate during mandatory minicamp, but he should be healthy enough to go for training camp. Keep an eye on Williams, who was a signing after rookie minicamp last season.

Safety is intriguing, especially after the selection of Jakobe Thomas in the third round. With Harrison Smith’s future still up in the air, how the group shapes up, especially after Jackson was “benched,” will be interesting.