Category: 2022 Preseason

Every NFL team’s most surprising roster cut

Highlighting the most shocking roster cut for each NFL team.

With the preseason in the books, every NFL team has now trimmed their roster to the league–mandated 53 players. While these rosters will certainly undergo changes over the next couple of days, each team has their initial 53-man roster set.

But when going from 80 to 53 players, there are some tough calls NFL general managers have to make in the process. And there were certainly some shocking moves across the league during the final roster cuts, which should make for some interesting moves on the waiver wire.

We’ve rounded up our NFL Wires editors to highlight the most surprising roster cut from every NFL team.

Top throws by rookie quarterbacks in the 2022 NFL preseason

Touchdown Wire’s Laurie Fitzpatrick highlights the top throws made by the NFL’s rookie quarterbacks in their first preseasons.

Some are saying that the rookie quarterback class is outperforming their expectations so far this preseason. Although this may be true, the bar was set pretty low, as there was only one quarterback selected in the first round of this years’ draft — Pitt’s Kenny Pickett, selected with the 20th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers. .

Most rookie quarterbacks, no matter their draft position, are more than capable of making at least one ‘wow’ throw when given a chance. It’s maintaining that success which makes the position tough.

Although none of these rookie quarterbacks are starters, they are still making it difficult for coaches to keep them on the sidelines. So, let’s jump right into it and highlight the best throws made by rookie quarterbacks throughout the NFL preseason!

2023 NFL mock draft: First-round projections based on the 2022 preseason

A mock draft before the 2022 NFL regular season begins? Yes, because scouting is a year-round endeavor. Here’s how the first round might look next year.

NFL teams obviously don’t start their scouting process for the following year in the following year. It’s a year-round process. Area scouts are readying for the 2022 college football season. Scouting directors are coordinating the whole things, and general managers are crunching a bit of tape whenever they might be able in bite-size pieces around the daily business of getting ready for their own seasons.

One thing that tells all those people what their needs might be in next year’s draft is this year’s preseason. You have a pretty good idea at this point what your team’s strengths and weaknesses are, and while you may get a slight kick from somebody else’s castoff in final cuts, you kind of have what you have unless you’re thinking about making a major trade before the deadline.

So, the 2023 draft matters. Even now, when the 2022 NFL regular season hasn’t even started.

With that in mind, here’s how I might assess team needs and prospect availability were I every general manager with a first-round pick in that 2023 draft, using the Pro Football Focus draft simulator. Team slots are based on PFF’s projections.

A few things you’ll notice right off the bat. I am assuming that the Falcons and the Texans will end the 2022 season happy enough with their quarterback situations to avoid selecting Alabama’s Bryce Young or Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, or whichever NCAA quarterback comes out of nowhere, as one quarterback seems to every year. Same with the Dolphins, who are using their non-forfeited first-round pick elsewhere. After Atlanta and Houston, the real QB-needy teams at the top of the draft — the Lions and Seahawks — act accordingly.

Here’s one person’s version of the first round of the 2023 NFL draft, based on how the 2022 preseason has gone, and how the 2022 regular season might shake out.

Vikings top defensive PFF grades vs Denver Broncos

After an up and down game, the Vikings had some wide-ranging PFF grades on defense

The Vikings lost a tough game on Saturday night 23-13 to the Denver Broncos.

Not playing 33 players – including all starters – the Vikings took the opportunity to look at all their depth players to make roster cuts just a little bit easier.

There weren’t a lot of obvious standout performances but players did acquit themselves well on Saturday night.

With the offensive PFF grades from Saturday night’s game live, here are the defensive grades.

Vikings top offensive PFF grades vs Denver Broncos

There were some standout performances from the offense on Saturday

The Vikings lost a tough game on Saturday night 23-13 to the Denver Broncos.

Not playing 33 players – including all starters – the Vikings took the opportunity to look at all their depth players to make roster cuts just a little bit easier.

There weren’t a lot of obvious standout performances but players did acquit themselves well on Saturday night.

Here are the offensive PFF grades from Saturday night’s game.

WR Olabisi Johnson is out for the season with a knee injury

Absolutely brutal luck for the fourth-year wide receiver

For a second-straight season, Vikings wide receiver Olabisi Johnson is out for the year with a torn ACL.

This is a rough break for the fourth-year receiver whom the Vikings drafted in the seventh round in 2019 out of Colorado State. After two quality seasons, Johnson was poised to have a breakout season in a similar way to how K.J. Osborn did in 2021.

Johnson tore his ACL for the first time in the second week of training camp, ending his season. This is a really tough break for Johnson, as he had earned a roster spot.

Where do the Vikings go from here? After the injury last night, I added Trishton Jackson to the final 53-man roster projection and Johnson will be placed on season-ending injured reserve.

We wish Johnson a speedy recovery and that he comes back better than ever.

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Instant analysis from the Vikings 23-13 loss vs the Broncos on Saturday

The Vikings lost a tough game to the Broncos, dropping them to 0-3 in the preseason

The Minnesota Vikings played well at times but lost a tough game to the Denver Broncos 23-13.

The focus was on the quarterbacks, as the Viking acquired Nick Mullens from the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday morning. He did not get into the game, so we got Sean Mannion in the first half and Kellen Mond in the second half

Both guys struggled throughout the game. Mannion went 9-of-16 for 121 yards and had the worst play of the game for the Vikings. He was strip-sacked and Baron Browning took it for what ended up being the game-winning touchdown.

When Kellen Mond took over in the second half, things didn’t get any better. He finished 10-of-17 for 102 yards while looking lost and uncomfortable in the pocket during the entire half.

The biggest takeaway regarding the quarterback position is it shouldn’t have either Mannion or Mond rostered as neither has proven that they can be a quality NFL quarterback.

Running back Ty Chandler looked like the best Viking on the field, showcasing his elite burst and speed with great vision. He finished the day with five rushes for 44 yards at a staggering 8.8 yards per rush.

The defense had a lot of ups and downs. Some of that was due to the injuries that the unit sustained. They also got caught over pursuing consistently, including on a reverse touchdown for Montrell Washington.

Myles Dorn was the highlight of the defense. He was all over the field on Saturday night with six tackles and two passes defended. With Metellus getting injured early on, Dorn might have earned himself a roster spot.

Now that the preseason is done, the Vikings look toward two dates: cut down day on August 30th and week one against the Green Bay Packers on September 11th.

Finishing winless in the preseason isn’t ideal, but the development of players and talent evaluation is more important. The Vikings have a lot of decisions to make over the next 72 hours and you can keep track of all those decisions here.

Two Vikings ruled out with injuries

Tough news for the Vikings in their final preseason game

Injuries have hit the Vikings hard in the first quarter against the Denver Broncos.

First, linebacker Brian Asamoah limped off the field on his own power on a screen pass. He did return to the game on the next possession.

Shortly thereafter, two Minnesota Vikings were ruled out with injuries. T.Y. McGill (ankle) and Troy Dye (foot) both will not return.

On the second drive, safety Josh Metellus also went down with an injury. The Vikings only suited up 52 players, meaning their options at each position are limited just like a regular game.

Not what you want to see for the Vikings.

Brian Asamoah goes down with a leg injury

Not what you want to see as a Vikings fan

Brian Asamoah pursued former Vikings running back Mike Boone on a screen pass and ended up injuring his leg.

After fellow rookie cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. injured his ankle in the second quarter against the San Francisco 49ers, this is not what you want to see.

Asamoah was having a standout preseason thus far for the Vikings, showing his athleticism and explosiveness.

As Tomasson referenced in the above tweet, Asamoah did walk back on his own power, but it will be worth monitoring to see if he returns and how severe the leg injury is.

Vikings vs Broncos: 3 things to watch for during Saturday night’s game

During tonight’s final preseason game against the Denver Broncos, here are three things you should be watching for.

The preseason for the Minnesota Vikings wraps up tonight as they take on the Denver Broncos at 8 pm central time.

The third preseason game is an interesting one this year for the Vikings. Historically, it has been the game where the starters get the most run in preparation for the regular season opener in just 10 days.

With only three preseason games, that contest has moved to the second game. The Vikings, having had joint practices with the San Francisco 49ers during the week chose to rest all but one of their starters.

Going into Saturday’s game, head coach Kevin O’Connell hadn’t given any clear direction as to whether the starters would be playing in the game.

For the sake of this piece, we are going with the assumption that the Vikings choose not to play the starters and we get to see a lot of developmental players get quality snaps. With that in mind, here are three things to watch for in Saturday’s game against the Broncos.