My colleague Dustin Baker recently laid out five lingering questions about the Vikings’ depth chart before Week 1.
They are good questions. But rather than predict what Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores will do, here’s what I would do if I had any say in it.
This is an opinion piece. The coaches may disagree. They have earned that right. But these would be my calls heading into the Packers opener.
Carson Wentz should be the QB2
Carson Wentz is the safer backup quarterback choice behind Kyler Murray.
That might not be the sexiest answer, but the backup quarterback job is not a competition for long-term upside. It is an emergency job. If Murray needs to come out for a play, a quarter or most of a game without a full week of preparation, O’Connell needs somebody who can enter the huddle, operate the existing game plan and avoid turning the entire afternoon into a fire drill.
Wentz looked more stable in the preseason. That matters.
J.J. McCarthy can still have a case if Murray were expected to miss multiple weeks. In that scenario, his ceiling may be higher, even if it means accepting the occasional brutal performance. His preseason did not make that argument for him, but he did play a couple of solid games last year.
For a one-game emergency, though, give me the veteran. Wentz should be QB2.
Myles Price should be the WR4
Tai Felton may be the better long-term bet. His size and outside-receiver skill set give him a path to becoming more than a complementary player.
But Myles Price should be the fourth receiver right now.
Price was more explosive in the preseason, and he fits the modern WR4 role. That player does not merely stand around waiting to spell Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison or Jauan Jennings. He can be a returner, motion player, gadget option or source of quick speed when the offense wants a different look.
Both wideouts will be active due to their special-teams roles.
Felton can keep developing. But if Minnesota wants to throw a curveball against Green Bay, I would put Price in the game.
Do not force the rookies who are not ready
The rookies should not be treated equally just because they were drafted in the same class.
Max Bredeson has an obvious offensive role because the Vikings need a fullback. He’ll play a usual fullback role of 10-20% of the snaps. Brett Thorson has the punting job. Beyond special teams, Domonique Orange and Jake Golday have the clearest paths to defensive snaps. Orange can help in the interior rotation, particularly against the run, while Golday has shown enough versatility to earn specific packages.
One of Jakobe Thomas and Jacob Thomas could also see time at safety, but are unlikely to be full-time players in Week 1. Charles Demmings is a backup for now, though certainly an intriguing one. Demond Claiborne should begin as a special teamer, perhaps receiving a couple of offensive touches. Caleb Tiernan should not be expected to contribute on offense this season.
Then there is Caleb Banks.
Banks is not ready for a major role, and pretending otherwise would not help anyone. But that does not mean he should never play. The Vikings can give him a limited workload, rotate him frequently and let him build confidence without asking him to solve every interior defensive-line problem. Keeping him fresh may even help his efficiency. Don’t expect a high usage early in the season, though.
The goal should not be to prove the draft class was ready immediately. The goal should be to use the rookies who are ready and give the others a chance to become ready.
Chaz Chambliss should stay on special teams
Chambliss caught a pass in the preseason, and the brief fullback experiment was fun. Football in August is supposed to be fun sometimes.
But it was an August wrinkle, not a real offensive role.
Chambliss’ job is to be a special teams contributor and outside-linebacker depth piece. The Vikings should not be trying to turn him into a part-time offensive weapon because he caught one short pass in a preseason game.
Could O’Connell revisit the package in a short-yardage situation someday? Sure. Coaches love a little mischief. But Chambliss should not be part of the Week 1 offensive plan unless something unexpected happens.
Harrison Smith is not a Week 1 answer
Harrison Smith will not play against Green Bay.
Maybe he returns later. Maybe he decides that the end of last season was the right conclusion to an incredible career. Maybe he waits to see whether the Vikings become a team worth joining midway through the year. Everyone is guessing because Smith has not provided a public answer.
That is fine. It is his decision.
But the Vikings cannot treat a hypothetical return as part of their current depth chart. Besides the aforementioned rookies, Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson and Jay Ward are the safety group Minnesota has. They need to be enough for now.
If Smith comes back later, the conversation changes. Until then, he is an intriguing possibility, not a Week 1 plan.
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