For the 24 Vikings Rookies, It All Starts Today
On Friday, the next era of Minnesota Vikings football officially gets started.
May 10th marks the beginning of minicamp for the Vikings rookies, and each of the 24 new rookies (along with a couple extras) will get their first practice reps in a Vikings uniform.
Vikings Rookies Get Their First Practice Reps This Weekend
Throughout the 2024 NFL Draft, the Vikings added seven names to their roster. Of course, the most notable additions were QB J.J. McCarthy and OLB Dallas Turner. With Minnesota watching both Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter leave the franchise in free agency, the hope is that both these players can become new cornerstones of the franchise in the coming years. That path gets started on Friday.
It’s very feasible that the remaining Vikings draft picks could play roles on the team in 2024 as well. Khyree Jackson, Minnesota’s fourth-round pick, joins a loaded cornerback room in terms of names, but Byron Murphy is the only player who is certain to be in the starting lineup come Week 1.
Meanwhile, both Michael Jurgens and Walter Rousse will hold key depth roles on the offensive line, and Will Reichard is in line to hold down the kicker job as long as he beats out John Parker Romo this summer. Even Minnesota’s final pick of the draft, Levi Drake Rodriquez, joins a pretty thin defensive tackle group.
The Vikings also have 17 undrafted free agents who will compete for roster spots. Here is the full list of names:
- OL Matt Cindric, California
- LB K.J. Cloyd, Miami (FL)
- OL Jeremy Flax, Kentucky
- LB Dallas Gant, Toledo
- WR Devron Harper, Mercer
- WR Ty James, Mercer
- WR Jeshaun Jones, Maryland
- TE Trey Knox, South Carolina
- DL Tyler Manoa, Arizona
- LB Donovan Manuel, FIU
- CB Dwight McGlothern, Arkansas
- OLB Gabriel Murphy, UCLA
- OL Doug Nester, West Virginia
- OLB Owen Porter, Marshall
- OLB Bo Richter, Air Force
- OL Spencer Rolland, North Carolina
- DL Taki Taimani, Oregon
The most notable players from this group are another pair of edge rushers: Gabriel Murphy and Bo Richter. Both players were amongst the most productive players in college football and may surprise some folks by the time training camp arrives.
2024 is a big turning point for the Vikings franchise with their newest class of rookies hopefully playing a big part in it. It all gets started this weekend, and then OTAs and mandatory minicamp will follow in the coming weeks.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.
