Tag: Calvin Avery

10 players who need a great performance vs. Seahawks

Heading into Thursday’s preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks, these 10 Minnesota Vikings need a great performance.

After two weeks of Minnesota Vikings training camp, we are starting to see a divide between players at each position. Preseason games set things apart as well, as live game reps matter more than practice.

Throughout practice, there have been plenty of standouts, but the players who have been struggling are the ones that need a great performance. If you play well in a live game setting, that can change everything for your potential chances to earn a roster spot.

Here are 10 players that need to have a great game against the Seattle Seahawks to improve their chances to make the roster.

Vikings state of the roster: Defensive line

After losing Dalvin Tomlinson, can the Minnesota Vikings defensive line take a step forward with Harrison Phillips and Dean Lowry?

The 2023 season is inching closer and closer by the day and we here at Vikings Wire are previewing the season from every angle. Today, begins profiling the Minnesota Vikings roster on the defensive side of the football.

We are currently writing player profiles on each Viking on the roster with projections for what their 2023 season could look like. How things look projecting forward is where the real intrigue lies.

Leading up to training camp, we will be looking at each position from a more in-depth perspective. Today, we will be looking at the defensive line.

Vikings 90-man roster player profile: DT Calvin Avery

Calvin Avery offers incredible size for the DT position, but will that be enough to get him onto the roster?

Welcome to the beginning of our 2023 season preview content!

Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at each player on the roster in-depth with backgrounds and how they currently project forward on the Minnesota Vikings roster.

What is the best-case scenario? What is the worst-case scenario? What should we expect from them during the preseason and beyond? We will break all of that down here.

As a staff, all of us at Vikings Wire ranked the entire 90-man roster 1-90 and will be releasing player profiles in reverse order.

7 Vikings UDFAs with best chance to make the roster

The Minnesota Vikings signed 15 undrafted free agents with seven of them having a decent shot to make the final 53-man roster.

The Minnesota Vikings added six draft picks in the 2023 NFL draft with the expectation that they all make the final 53-man roster. They also signed 15 undrafted free agents, but what are the odds that they make the roster?

With multiple holes on the roster, what odds do the undrafted free agents the Vikings signed have to make the roster? I believe that seven of them have a good chance to make it.

Here are the undrafted free agents with the best chance to make the roster and why.

Breaking down the Vikings UDFA signings

The Minnesota Vikings brought in 15 UDFA signings. @TheKevinFielder provides an introduction with a brief synopsis of all 15.

While hearing their name called during the NFL Draft is the dream of every college prospect, some don’t get that luxury.

With just 259 draft picks, more players find themselves waiting after Saturday’s conclusion to find their chance. Often forgotten, these undrafted free agents come into the NFL with limited expectations but high hopes.

Over the years, a laundry list of undrafted free agents have carved out long careers, including former Minnesota Vikings Hall of Fame defensive tackle, John Randle.

This season, the Vikings signed 15 players to an undrafted free-agent deal. These players will go through the off-season program, hoping to make the team’s 53-man roster before the regular season begins.

Here are each of those signings.

2023 Vikings undrafted free agent tracker

After selecting six players in the 2023 NFL Draft, the race begins for undrafted free agents. Here is everyone the Vikings have signed.

The 2023 NFL draft is officially complete! The Minnesota Vikings entered the draft with five selections and finished making six selections

Once the seventh round starts, teams will begin calling players about signing as an undrafted free agent. Teams will offer signing bonuses to convince them to sign. The Vikings entered the weekend with 23 open roster spots and they will likely sign a big undrafted free agent class.

Here at Vikings Wire, we will be tracking all of them leading up to

Colts address big needs in 7-round mock draft

Breaking down Chad Reuter’s 7-round mock draft for the Colts.

Less than a week of mock drafts remain until the Indianapolis Colts will make their selections in the 2023 NFL draft.

The fatigue with mock drafts is real, and at this point, we just want to event to arrive. But we’re still going to break down the mock drafts that come out so we can get a better feel for these prospects and potential scenarios.

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Here’s a look at Chad Reuter’s seven-round mock draft from the Colts’ perspective with our analysis at the end:

2023 NFL draft: Seahawks hosted Illinois DB Jartavius Martin

The Seahawks hosted Illinois cornerback prospect Jartavius Martin for an official visit yesterday ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.

The Seahawks had meetings with at least three defensive prospects yesterday. Top 2023 prospct Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter was the main attraction, but they also hosted Illinois nose tackle Calvin Avery.

According to Corbin Smith, they also got a visit from one of Avery’s most-interesting teammates: DB Jartavius “Quan” Martin.

You won’t find Martin in the conversation for top DB in the draft. However, he displayed tantalyzing measurables and athleticism at the 2023 Scouting Combine. Officially he’s listed as 5-foot-11, 194 pounds with 31.125″ arms and 9.625″ hands. Martin ran a 4.46 forty and posted an obscene 44″ vertical, plus an 11’1″ broad jump. Martin also comes with versatility, having experience in the slot and as a safety.

In 50 games at Illinois, he totaled 225 tackles (10.5 for a loss), seven interceptions, 22 passes defensed and three forced fumbles. Here are the highlights from his 2022 season.

For now Martin is projected to come off the board in the second round.

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2023 NFL draft: Seahawks meeting with Illinois DT Calvin Avery today

Avery is more of a traditional nose tackle, which fits what the team needs after they released Al Woods.

The Seahawks will be hosting the best player in the 2023 NFL draft today when Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter comes to visit. Carter is the most popular mock draft pick for Seattle and their No. 5 overall selection in the draft. However, Carter is far from the only interior defensive line prospect this team has their eyes on.

According to Aaron Wilson, Seattle is hosting Illinois DT Calvin Avery today, as well. Avery is more of a traditional nose tackle, which fits what the team needs after they released Al Woods.

Avery has size and power to spare. At his pro day he checked in at 6-foot-1, 345 pounds, posting 31 bench press reps and an almost 82″ wingspan.

During his 39 games at Illinois, he posted 2.5 sacks and seven tackles for a loss. Here’s a look at Avery giving fits to the 2023 NFL draft’s top-ranked center, Minnesota’s John Michael Schmitz.

What the Seahawks need at this spot most of all is the ability to plug the gushing hole in their run defese. Here’s a clip of Avery stuffing the run against Northwestern.

Avery can do more than just stop the run, though. Here he is blowing past Wisconsin’s Joe Tippmann and pressuring the quarterback.

Avery is projected as an UDFA.

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