The Vikings’ Depth Chart Going Into their Week 7 Game against the 49ers
K. Joudry
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The San Francisco 49ers are the team the Minnesota Vikings want to become. Deep and powerful, San Francisco can win games behind their suffocating defense and/or their innovative offense. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will have a deep admiration for what’s being accomplished in the Bay Area. After all, that’s where he got his NFL career started.
A quick glance at the Vikings’ depth chart will reveal some clear deficiencies, at least when placed alongside the 49ers’ roster. One thinks of the discrepancy in talent along the defensive lines as being a pretty startling difference between the squads. True, they don’t have a receiver on par with Justin Jefferson (who is still recovering on the IR), but their collection of weapons — Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey — is top-rate. Minnesota will have a tough time keeping up with that kind of skill.
Now, Minnesota does have high-end talent. Danielle Hunter is approaching his 29th birthday and yet he leads the NFL in sacks and TFLs. Players like him are very difficult to find, so the GM will need to think long and hard about whether the Vikings can afford to lose him.
Plenty of teams will be interested in adding the pass rusher, with the San Francisco 49ers likely being one of those teams.
Christian Darrisaw is an elite left tackle, Brian O’Neill hasn’t missed a beat, and Kirk Cousins has mostly been a strong player. Go ahead and partner those three with some strong efforts from Jordan Hicks, Josh Metellus, Akayleb Evans, and Josh Oliver. The Viking are a talented team, but their ongoing commitment to getting in their own way has largely contributed to the 2-4 record.
What’s notable for Vikings fans is some of the movement occurring on defense. After being benched, Khyiris Tonga found himself back in the lineup. One wonders if he’ll not only overcome Jaquelin Roy but also Dean Lowry.
Moreover, Andrew Booth Jr. functioned as the team’s CB3 against the Chicago Bears in Week 6. Does that continue against the 49ers? Kyle Shanahan can pull from a deep reservoir of pass-catching talent, so whoever picks up snaps for Brian Flores’ secondary will need to be crisp. The sophomore corner has a high ceiling, so let’s see if the Vikings seek to pursue it as he works through some early career growing pains.
Kickoff takes place tomorrow night inside U.S. Bank Stadium. The 2-4 Vikings will look to overcome the heavily-favored 49ers, a team that boasts a 5-1 record. The game will begin at 7:15 p.m. CDT.
The Vikings’ Depth Chart — Week 7
Offense
Quarterback
QB1: Kirk Cousins
QB2: Jaren Hall
Running Back
RB1: Alexander Mattison
RB2: Cam Akers
RB3: Ty Chandler
RB4: Kene Nwangwu
Fullback
FB1: C.J. Ham
Wide Receiver
WR1: Jordan Addison
WR2: K.J. Osborn
WR3: Brandon Powell
WR4: N’Keal Harry
Tight End
TE1: T.J. Hockenson
TE2: Josh Oliver
TE3: Johnny Mundt
TE4: Nick Muse
Left Tackle
LT1: Christian Darrisaw
LT2: David Quessenberry
Left Guard
LG1: Ezra Cleveland
LG2: Dalton Risner
Center
C1: Garrett Bradbury
C2: Austin Schlottmann
Right Guard
RG1: Ed Ingram
RG2: Blake Brandel
Right Tackle
RT1: Brian O’Neill
RT2: Hakeem Adeniji
Defense
Outside Linebacker
OLB1: Danielle Hunter
OLB2: D.J. Wonnum
OLB3: Patrick Jones
OLB4: Andre Carter
Defensive Line
DT/DE1: Harrison Phillips
DT/DE2: Jonathan Bullard
DT/DE3: Dean Lowry
DT/DE4: Khyiris Tonga
DT/DE5: Jaquelin Roy
Inside Linebacker
LB1: Jordan Hicks
LB2: Ivan Pace
LB3: Brian Asamoah
LB4: Troy Dye
Cornerback
CB1: Byron Murphy
CB2: Akayleb Evans
CB3: Mekhi Blackmon
CB4: Andrew Booth
CB5: NaJee Thompson
Safety
S1: Harrison Smith
S2: Cam Bynum
S3: Josh Metellus
S4: Theo Jackson
S5: Jay Ward
S6: Lewis Cine
Special Teams
Kicker
K1: Greg Joseph
Punter
P1: Ryan Wright
Long Snapper
LS1: Andrew DaPaola
Kick Returner
KR1: Kene Nwangwu
KR2: Ty Chandler
Punt Returner
PR1: Brandon Powell
PR2: K.J. Osborn
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.