After storming out to an early 14-3 lead, the Minnesota Vikings lost their final preseason matchup 18-17 to the Arizona Cardinals. This loss marks the sixth straight in the preseason for Kevin O’Connell and is a marker for the roughest part of the preseason: cutting down to the final 53.
August 29th marks the day the Vikings roster is cut down to only 53 players. In this final game, there are players who made a convincing case to be on that final roster. There are others who may have played themselves out of Minnesota.
We discuss whose stock went up and whose went down just a few days before the final cut.
Stock up: QB Jaren Hall
Jaren Hall went 16-of-27 for 178 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
The main objective this preseason for Hall is to give this regime something to build off of going into 2023. The first drive gave them that and maybe a bit more. He led the Minnesota offense 75 yards in 10 plays, using up over four and a half minutes of clock. Hall looked composed in each dropback and went 3/4 for 44 yards with his only incompletion being tipped at the line of scrimmage.
He showed impressive pocket navigation, stepping up into the pocket and delivering strikes all over the field. O’Connell even noted after the game that Hall “can grow [in this offense]…and hopefully hit the ground running the next opportunity he gets.”
Stock down: CB C.J. Coldon, Jr.
Rookie UDFA C.J. Coldon Jr. is 24 years old. Combine that with his sub-par athletic profile, and Coldon has an uphill climb making the final 53-man roster.
Coldon’s calling card was his ball skills and instincts when playing the ball in the air. So, seeing him misjudge the touchdown to Davion Davis so badly was shocking to see. Two drives later, his interference on a 4th and two fade to Davis gave a stopped Cardinals drive new life and field position inside the five-yard line.
Overall, it was a bad day for Coldon, and he will likely not make the 53-man roster. Given his size profile, he may find himself on the practice squad.
Stock up: S Jay Ward
Jay Ward has had a relatively quiet training camp and preseason after most of the attention went toward second-year safety Lewis Cine. He needed that one splash play before the end of the preseason to show the fans why Brian Flores needed him to take snaps early and often in this defense. That one play that will signal why Kwesi Adofo-Mensah drafted him with the 134th overall pick and why he is here to stay.
He got a chance to do that today.
Ward’s sack on fellow rookie Clayton Tune embodied the physicality and playmaking ability that makes him a fit for Flores’ defense. He also led the team in total tackles with eight total tackles. That’s the second week in a row that he’s done that. Ward also added a pass break-up to his stats.
Saturday was a great day for the former LSU Tiger, and hopefully, it will lead to more defensive snaps when the Vikings kick off in two weeks.
Stock up: Jaquelin Roy
Speaking of rookies from LSU that needed to show out, Jaquielin Roy had himself a heck of a game in his preseason debut. While he only logged two tackles, he had a quarterback hit and caused a lot of chaos in the interior.
Roy showed that power and lateral quickness that made him such an intriguing prospect in this draft. He stayed in the backfield of the Cardinals the entire afternoon, making run stops and making Tune uncomfortable in the pocket.
Stock down: Thayer Thomas
Unfortunately for Thayer Thomas, this looks to be the end of his time as a punt returner. That seemed like a position where Thomas could slot in after fielding 128 punts at NC State the year before.
He muffed his second punt return of the preseason, and while Minnesota kept possession, that is not how you make an NFL roster.
His limitations as a slot receiver make it difficult to find him a spot on the roster. After not solidifying himself as a viable punt returner, the rookie receiver may have to rely on the practice squad to give him his next opportunity.
Stock Up: Benton Whitley
Benton Whitley keeps making plays this preseason. This is the second week in a row he’s been a stock-up player, and for good reason. He made four tackles today, all solo, and added a pass deflection.
He has shown the ability to set the edge, run down a ball carrier down the line of scrimmage, and rush the passer. Whitley has earned himself a spot on this 53-man roster.
He and Luiji Vilain have been battling about who can outplay whom to get favorable positioning on the depth chart. It’s brought out the best in both of them this preseason, but I will give the slight edge to Whitley going into final cuts.
