Vikings inactives list for the Cardinals game

Here are the Vikings players who are inactive for the Week 2 game.

The Vikings released their list of inactives for the Week 2 matchup against the Cardinals, and the biggest storylines came from the players not featured on the list.

LB Eric Kendricks was limited in practice earlier this week, and was listed as questionable on the injury report. However, Kendricks was nowhere to be found on the list of inactives, so it’s still possible that the linebacker ends up playing. CB Cameron Dantzler, after being inactive for the Week 1 game against the Bengals, was also not on this week’s list. Here are the players who are on it:

Vikings CB Harrison Hand named Minnesota’s surprise minicamp player

Do you think Vikings corner Harrison Hand has a chance at a starting job during the 2021 NFL season?

In a small sample size of snaps this past season, Harrison Hand impressed. The Vikings rookie had an interception and three passes defended. He earned a PFF grade of 65.8 for his 146 snaps, which is decent.

The Vikings have now gone through OTAs and mandatory minicamp, and Hand has impressed in a small sample size yet again. In fact, ESPN’s Courtney Cronin tabbed Hand as Minnesota’s minicamp surprise. Cronin wrote:

“With Jeff Gladney absent amid legal issues and Cameron Dantzler sidelined with an apparent injury, Hand, a former fifth-round pick, got a lot of reps with the first-team defense in OTAs and minicamp. He came away with a couple of interceptions. The Vikings moved Hand around as an outside corner and even lined him up in the slot, which should help his chances for making the roster this fall. The secondary looks a lot different this year. While Dantzler (if healthy), Patrick Peterson and Bashaud Breeland will be the front-runners to earn starting jobs, Hand’s strong spring showing could put him in line to duke it out with Kris Boyd for one of the final spots on the depth chart.”

As Cronin pointed out, Hand actually has a chance at a starting job. He’s more of a dark horse, even with Gladney’s legal situation and Dantzler’s injury, but it’s not out of the question.

Dark horse candidates to be Vikings starters in 2021

Who do you think could be a surprising starter for the Minnesota Vikings in 2021?

At this point in the offseason, Minnesota seems pretty solidified at its starting positions.

With only a few exceptions, the Vikings have at least a serviceable player to put at a starting spot. But what about the players who make strides this offseason? What if there are a few surprising names at the top of the depth chart in 2021?

This is a list of some of those players. Maybe you don’t expect these players to start, and they’re not by any means the favorites to do so, but it’s also a possibility that they could.

Here are four dark horse candidates to start for Minnesota in 2021:

Three Vikings who need more reps in 2021

Which Minnesota Vikings players do you want to see earn more playing time during the 2021 NFL season?

Despite missing out on the playoffs in 2020, the Vikings have some things to look forward to for next season.

During its down year, Minnesota played plenty of rookies and other younger players who are primed for progression and possibly bigger roles in 2021.

Here are three of those players, all of whom impressed at times with just a small number of reps. If given more playing time, maybe these three can turn into starting-caliber NFL players.

Here is the list:

Stock up, stock down from the Vikings’ loss to the Saints

See the stock up, stock down report from the Minnesota Vikings’ loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 16.

Minnesota came into the two-game stretch against Chicago and New Orleans with plenty of promise.

If the Vikings won against the Bears, the team might not even have to beat the Saints to make the playoffs. Of course, that didn’t happen: Minnesota lost both games.

Now, at 6-9, the Vikings are looking for answers to what went wrong this year. Oftentimes, it’s not too hard to find them. The defense struggled in multiple phases of the game, the special teams were sloppy and the offense was inconsistent in the first half of the season.

Here is the stock up, stock down from the Saints game:

Minnesota Vikings Week 9 injury designations: Both starting CBs ruled OUT

The Detroit Lions Week 9 opponent, the Minnesota Vikings, have released their injury designations ahead of Sunday’s game.

The Detroit Lions Week 9 opponent, the Minnesota Vikings, have released their injury designations ahead of Sunday’s game and they will be without three corners — including both starters — with a fourth being listed as questionable.

Here’s a look at the Vikings’ full injury designations list.

Ruled OUT/Questionable

Player	Position	Injury	Designation
Cameron Dantzler	CB (starter)	Concussion	OUT
Holton Hill	CB (starter)	Foot	OUT
Mark Fields	CB	Chest	OUT
Harrison Hand	CB	Hamstring	Questionable

Dantzler is still recovering from a nasty concussion suffered in last week’s game, while Hill has been out almost a month with his foot issue. Fields, who is a reserve, suffered a puncture in his chest which will keep him out of this game. Mike Hughes, who was expected to be a starter this year, is on injured reserve.

The Vikings have just four healthy corners currently on their roster, with three of them being rookies and the fourth a former Lion.

First-round pick Jeff Gladney is expected to start, while fifth-round pick Harrison Hand — who is questionable — and seventh-round pick Kris Boyd will compete for the other starting job.

Former Lion Chris Jones — whom the Vikings claimed a few weeks ago — is expected to be the fourth option and will likely make his Vikings debut on Sunday.

No injury designation

Player	Position	Injury	Designation
C.J. Ham	FB	Shoulder	No designation
Adam Thielen	WR (starter)	Shoulder	No designation
Dan Chisena	WR	Hip	No designation

All three offensive skill players were listed on the injury report this week but will be available on Sunday as they will not carry an injury designation into the game.

Gallery: Vikings upset Packers at Lambeau

The top photos from Sunday’s Vikings’ win over the Packers at Lambeau Field.

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Vikings draft Temple CB Harrison Hand at No. 169

Another pick, another corner. Temple’s Harrison Hand becomes the third cornerback taken by Minnesota.

The Vikings saw three cornerbacks leave this offseason, and so far the team has drafted three cornerbacks in the NFL draft.

Vikings most recent corner taken was Temple’s Harrison Hand at No. 169, a fifth-round pick. Hand will add depth to a position group that saw Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander sign elsewhere in the offseason. Rhodes and Waynes were the starters out wide and Alexander was the nickel corner in 2019.

Hand tallied 59 tackles in his final collegiate season for Temple. He also had three interceptions and five pass breakups in 2019.

Minnesota started the draft by taking LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson and TCU cornerback Jeff Gladney in the first round. The Vikings then picked Boise State tackle Ezra Cleveland.

Minnesota went and took Mississippi State corner Cameron Dantzler, Baylor defensive tackle James Lynch, and Oregon linebacker Troy Dye in the draft before this pick. Hopefully some of those players can become big contributors for the team in 2020.

4 players the Seattle Seahawks could pick on Day 3 of the NFL draft

The Seattle Seahawks have four picks remaining on day three of the 2020 NFL Draft. Here are four players they could target.

The first two days of the 2020 NFL draft are in the books, and the Seattle Seahawks have added three new players to the roster: linebacker Jordyn Brooks, defensive end Darrell Taylor and right guard Damien Lewis.

With four picks remaining on day three, John Schneider and his staff have plenty of opportunities to bolster multiple key positions of need, either by using all the picks, or trading down to acquire even more late round selections.

As they do every year, a handful of players expected to go in the first or second round have fallen, with a few of them still available heading into day three.

Here is a look at four players who could be of interest to the Seahawks, if they make it do any of their remaining selections, which are as follows:

Round 4 (133)

Round 4 (144)

Round 5 (148)

Round 6 (214)

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Chargers Day 3 mock draft

How might the rest of the Los Angeles Chargers’ draft shape up?

After having no picks on Friday evening since they were included in the package to get linebacker Kenneth Murray, the Chargers are now back in business with four selections on Day 3 of the draft – barring any trades.

What might they do with their final picks? Using Pro Football Network’s mock draft simulator, I took a crack at how general manager Tom Telesco might wrap up this year’s draft class.

Round 4 | Ben Bartch | OT | St. John’s

For months now, Bartch has been a favorite of mine and after making it out of the second day, there’s a possibility that the Chargers could be eyeing him with the No. 112 overall selection if he gets past the first few teams at the top of the fourth-round.

If Los Angeles was to select Bartch, they’d be getting a player who is a technically refined blocker who possesses the footwork, athleticism, play awareness and quick hands, projecting as a high-upside developmental left tackle with the ability to play some guard.

Round 5 | John Hightower | WR | Boise State

The Chargers have one of the best one-two punches at the wide receiver position, but the thing that the positional group is lacking is speed.

With Hightower, the athleticism and track-like speed (4.43 40) is evident, but he also possesses the separation skills, ball skills and jumping ability to high point the football. Often used on sweep plays, Hightower is a threat to break off for a huge play whenever he has the football. He can also help in the kick-return game.

Round 6 | Harrison Hand | CB | Temple

The Chargers need to address the cornerback position because Michael Davis was up and down last season, he failed to stay on the field in the final games, and he has one more year remaining on his contract.

Hand, the 5-foot-11 and 197 pounder showed to flourish in zone coverage for the Owls, using his read-and-react skills and eye discipline to make plays, projecting as a backup corner with starter upside.

Round 7 | Sewo Olonilua | RB | TCU

Olonilua, the 6-foot-3 and 232 pounder would be the perfect compliment to Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson, as his powerful style of running would be able to serve in short yardage situations, his physicality would aide in pass protection, and he has the ability to even catch passes out of the backfield.