NFL Training Camp 2021: 5 Minnesota Vikings players on the roster bubble heading into training camp
There were high expectations for the Minnesota Vikings in 2020. The Vikings had Kirk Cousins getting the ball down the field, and drafting Justin Jefferson as a top offensive target was a smart move. After all tht, the Vikings ended up falling to third in the NFC North with an abysmal 7-9 record.
The Green Bay Packers still having a lot of unanswered questions, while the Chicago Bears are figuring out their quarterback situation. The Detroit Lions have another new head coach and a new quarterback.
This upheaval leaves room for the Vikings to go top the division, as long as they figure out where they went wrong in 2020.
5 Minnesota Vikings players on the roster bubble
#1 Dru Samia, G
Dru Samia, as with Dakota Dozier, who is also on this list, had issues in pass-blocking in 2020. Samia allowed three sacks and 14 pressures in his coverage. He doesn't seem to have a guaranteed backup position right now either, which means he will need to show major improvement in training camp.
#2 Bisi Johnson, WR
A former seventh-round draft pick in 2019, Bisi Johnson showed promise in his rookie season. In 2020, Johnson wasn't productive at all on the Vikings offense and entering 2021, there are plenty of question marks as to what Johnson will be able to do.
With Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson as the top wide receivers, WR3 is practically open, but whether Bisi Johnson can secure it remains to be seen.
#3 Stephen Weatherly, DE
Stephen Weatherly re-signed with the Minnesota Vikings after spending 2020 with the Carolina Panthers. An injury caused Weatherly to miss the majority of the 2020 season.
Weatherly could either help improve the defense at defensive end or hinder it by getting in the way of young defensive players that the Vikings seem interested in utilizing in the future.
#4 Dakota Dozier, G
In an effort to improve their offensive line in order to get more production out of the offense, the Vikings added some pieces this offseason, meaning Dakota Dozier finds himself on the hot seat this summer at training camp.
The thirty-year-old had a severe decrease in performance in 2020 that led to Minnesota drafting Wyatt Davis out of Ohio State in the third round.
#5 Ameer Abdullah, RB
With Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison as the clear number one and number two running backs in Minnesota, the question is who will be third on the depth chart.
Ameer Abdullah will have to compete and stand out against rookie running back Kene Nwangwu to do just that. In order to make the team, Abdullah has to show that he has what it takes to beat the rookie.