Minnesota Vikings: 3 Players to watch vs. Saints in Preseason Week 1
The Minnesota Vikings begin their 2019 preseason slate on Friday night against the Saints but which players should fans keep an eye on?
After coming into last season with Kirk Cousins and high expectations, the Minnesota Vikings fell well short of them. They missed out on the postseason and were clearly not the complete team that many thought they were coming into the year. Hoping they’ve addressed many of those issues, they begin their 2019 preseason schedule in New Orleans taking on the Saints.
Cousins is back in the fold but likely won’t be seen in this matchup for more than a series, if that. Furthermore, it’s hard to think that we’ll see much of the high-profile Vikings defense that features the likes of Harrison Smith, Eric Kendricks, Danielle Hunter and many more. We know what those guys are and there’s not much an early preseason game will tell anyone.
Having said that, there are guys that are unknown commodities at the professional level that have a lot to showcase in this matchup with the Saints. We’re going to look at three such players that fans should have in focus when they turn on this game.
These three are all rookies on offense, which makes sense after what happened with the Vikings last season. Keep an eye on guys like Cameron Smith and Kris Boyd on defense but have a sharper eye on these three players when Minnesota has the ball.
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3. Irv Smith Jr., TE
There was a time where it seemed like Kyle Rudolph might be out in Minnesota, which would’ve put rookie tight end Irv Smith Jr. in a massive role right out of the gate. Rudolph is back, though, which puts less pressure on the rookie out of Alabama. Having said that, he’ll still be in focus as the heir-apparent to Rudolph who could also have a role in the offense right away still.
Smith flashed immense potential throughout his time with the Crimson Tide, though he was overshadowed by a star-studded group of wide receivers. Even still, he can be a big-bodied target that can help open up the passing game. Where he could really be in focus in his first preseason tilt, though, is how he holds up in the NFL as a blocker.
2. Alexander Mattison, RB
The top spot on the Vikings running back depth chart isn’t in question as Dalvin Cook should undoubtedly be the starter. However, given Cook’s injury history to start his NFL career and how much Minnesota utilized Latavius Murray previously, rookie Alexander Mattison could be a critical piece of the offense.
While Ameer Abdullah was signed this offseason, Mattison offers more upside as a dynamic runner coming out of Boise State. He may not be the greatest athlete or someone who could supplant Cook but he’s more than capable of spelling the starter and helping the offense continue to move. If he’s going to start seizing the chance to be that, it starts with Week 1 of the preseason.
1. Garrett Bradbury and Dru Samia, IOL
Entering the 2019 offseason, the most critical thing that the Minnesota Vikings needed to accomplish was upgrading the interior of their offensive line. They did so in the first round by taking Garrett Bradbury, then double-dipped by using a fourth-round pick on Dru Samia.
Last season’s lack of success with Kirk Cousins at the helm was partially on the shoulders of the quarterback but he and Dalvin Cook were up against it given the blocking that they got up the middle. Thus, getting guys in place that can vastly improve that area of the offense was immensely important.
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We’ll get our first look at both Bradbury and Samia in game action to see if they can be those guys. Bradbury is clearly the more important piece in this regard as he should be the day-one starter at center. How he performs will be scrutinized relentlessly. However, Samia also has an opportunity to prove himself in his reps and become valuable depth behind Josh Kline and Pat Elflein at guard.