Minnesota Vikings release their first unofficial depth chart with training camp standouts making waves

We are days away from the Minnesota Vikings making their preseason debut on Saturday afternoon against the Houston Texans. Ahead of that, teams will release their first "unofficial" depth chart. It gives us a baseline for how things end up sitting.

While the Vikings are releasing the depth chart ahead of the preseason, it is important to note that it's unofficial and anything can change with a few performances. I released my projected depth chart on Monday, and there are some similarities. However, these things stood out when breaking down the Vikings' first unofficial depth chart.

Minnesota Vikings unofficial depth chart

Lucky Jackson is WR4

The wide receiver depth chart was going to be really interesting to see how it stands going into that first preseason game. We know that Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jalen Nailor are the top three, but how do things shape up after that?

WR4 is currently Lucky Jackson, who has worked his way up to be listed as the backup to Addison. With Jefferson missing practice, Jackson has been working with the first team, and he's done a good job in those opportunities.

Rookies in prominent spots

The offense doesn't have many rookies high on the depth chart. However, there are two really interesting ones on the offensive side of the football.

Donovan Jackson is listed as the starter at left guard. It's not much of a surprise, especially since he has been working with the first team regularly throughout training camp, and being ahead of Blake Brandel makes sense. Can he maintain that position? It shouldn't be too hard, especially because he's a first round pick.

The other interesting option is Ben Yurosek being listed as a co-third string tight end with Giovanni Ricci. The UDFA was once viewed as a potential top-50 pick when he was at Stanford, and his time at Georgia didn't end up strengthening his resume. He's been solid throughout training camp, and can provide J.J. McCarthy a solid option in the intermediate areas of the field.

Defensive line depth

The defensive line has been a major area of focus for the Vikings this offseason. They added Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave in free agency, along with Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. With four players returning to the team from the active roster, seeing how the depth would shake out was going to be one of the more interesting things from the first "unofficial" depth chart.

The starters are Allen, Hargrave, and Harrison Phillips. However, the backups are where the intrigue lies, as Levi Drake Rodriguez, Jalen Redmond, and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins on the second team. Taki Taimani is on the third team. After a tremendous training camp last year, he's fallen behind. Rodriguez looks to have taken a step forward after his redshirt year in 2024, which makes Taimani more expendable.

Zemaiah Vaughn is last CB on depth chart

Of everything on the depth chart, cornerback is a really interesting spot. We know the top four are relatively set in stone, but who is going to be behind them?

The top cornerback UDFA is Zemaiah Vaughn, who has been working with the twos at times during training camp. However, he is listed last among the cornerbacks, which is really interesting positioning. Now, it is unofficial, but it's really interesting to see him so low.