Vikings 53-man roster: Who stays and who goes?

Who makes the Vikings 53-man roster?

Sunday night on FOX 9 Sports Now, Jim Rich sits down with Pete Bercich of the Vikings Radio Network to analyze who stays and who goes for the Vikings 53-man roster.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The preseason is over, and the Minnesota Vikings have to cut to their initial 53-man roster by Tuesday afternoon.

Kevin O’Connell said Saturday roster cut day is his least favorite day of the season. That’s because he has to tell several players they didn’t make the team, and their NFL dream is over if they didn’t land on the practice squad.

With that said, here is a guess at the initial 53:

Quarterbacks

Sam Darnold, Nick Mullens, Jaren Hall

With J.J. McCarthy out for the year, Sam Darnold is the starter and Nick Mullens is the back-up. Jaren Hall did enough in the preseason to earn a roster spot, and the Vikings can’t risk sneaking him through to the practice squad. Three quarterbacks will dress for games, and the third has to come from the active roster. Hall makes the team.

Running backs

Aaron Jones, Ty Chandler, Kene Nwangwu, C.J. Ham

The Vikings have had success running the ball in the preseason, and Aaron Jones hasn’t taken a single snap yet.

Wide receivers

Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor, Brandon Powell, Trishton Jackson, Trent Sherfield

Jalen Nailor and Trishton Jackson made the biggest splashes in training camp. Nailor is set to potentially have a breakout year now that he’s healthy.

Tight ends

Josh Oliver, Johnny Mundt, Robert Tonyan

The Vikings carry three tight ends and will have to make a roster move once T.J. Hockenson comes back healthy.

Offensive line

Garrett Bradbury, Christian Darrisaw, Ed Ingram, Brian O’Neill, Blake Brandel, David Quessenberry, Walter Rouse, Dalton Risner

Dalton Risner has been dealing with a back injury, so there’s a chance Dan Feeney takes his spot as a back-up center.

Defensive line

Harrison Phillips, Jonathan Bullard, Levi Drake Rodriguez, Jaquelin Roy, Jerry Tillery

Edge rushers

Dallas Turner, Jonathan Greenard, Patrick Jones II, Andrew Van Ginkel, Andre Carter II

Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner lead a group with one big goal: Get after the quarterback.

Linebackers

Brian Asamoah, Blake Cashman, Ivan Pace Jr., Kamu Grugier-Hill

Ivan Pace Jr. likely takes the green dot duties, while hometown kid Blake Cashman looks for a big season.

Defensive backs

Byron Murphy Jr., Stephon Gilmore, Akayleb Evans, Shaq Griffin, Fabian Moreau, Duke Shelley

The Vikings have made wholesale changes at defensive back. Stephon Gilmore was a big splash in free agency, and Shaq Griffin should have a big impact if he gets healthy.