Five positions to watch in the Vikings' preseason opener against the Seahawks

A year ago, the Vikings kept 13 players out of their preseason opener in Las Vegas against the Raiders, before holding out 27 in their second exhibition game against the 49ers and 33 in the preseason finale against the Broncos.

With two sets of joint practices against the Titans and Cardinals in the next two weeks, it's unlikely the Vikings will play many established players in their preseason opener in Seattle tonight (9 p.m., Ch. 9/NFL Network).

Many of the players the Vikings will count on in 2023, though, are not established in the NFL. They'll likely need significant contributions from a trio of cornerbacks (Akayleb Evans, Mekhi Blackmon and Andrew Booth Jr.) that has played a combined 267 NFL defensive snaps. Second-year linebacker Brian Asamoah or undrafted rookie Ivan Pace could replace Eric Kendricks in the middle of the defense. On offense, the Vikings have big plans for first-round pick Jordan Addison, while fifth-rounder Jaren Hall could get as much as six quarters of preseason quarterbacking.

The contours of the Vikings' roster have changed enough in 2023 that there will be plenty in the preseason for fans to watch, as Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson likely do the same from the sidelines. Here are five positions to keep an eye on Thursday night:

Even if Nick Mullens starts on Thursday night, Hall will have lots of chances to play in the next three games. He's struggled at times against the Vikings' defense in practices (as all of the team's QBs have), but Thursday gives him a chance to operate the team's offense in a game situation for the first time.

"We get the play clocks out here [in practice], and we try to push these guys and let them feel how fast it gets in and out [of the huddle], how fast the play calls come," offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said. "You don't have time to walk up and get a big-picture view; you've got to get things going. You've got to lead the team, run the offense."

The Vikings will likely run many of their basic offensive concepts on Thursday night, giving Hall a chance to lead a stripped-down version of the scheme. Coach Kevin O'Connell — no stranger to the challenges a rookie quarterback can face in the preseason — said he hopes that can help Hall on Thursday.

"He's running a lot of things that are core principles of our offense, that he's really been doing since rookie minicamp," O'Connell said. "The hope is he doesn't feel stressed going into that game above the neck, so he can physically just go play."

O'Connell said this week that Addison, the 23rd overall pick out of USC, will play on Thursday night, though the Vikings were still trying to determine how much. With Jefferson and K.J. Osborn likely to sit out, and in light of several injuries to the team's receiver group, Addison could get some early chances.

He's starred on the practice field with a number of impressive sideline catches, and O'Connell praised how the rookie has approached run blocking. That's an underrated component of a receiver's job in the Vikings' offense because of how often the team stations a receiver tight to the offensive line.

"You're going to have to have receivers willing to dig out Harrison Smith and Josh Metellus and Cam Bynum and Lewis [Cine] and all these guys," O'Connell said. "So to see him not only willing to do that, but then physically and fundamentally do it has been a real positive."

In camp so far, Evans and Blackmon have earned plenty of first-team snaps. If both players are going to stay in those roles and allow Byron Murphy Jr. to move inside in the nickel package, the next few weeks of work against other teams could do plenty to show the two can be consistent. Booth, who missed time with an undisclosed injury, needs to show he can both play a significant number of snaps and recover from the workload in time for the next week.

Assuming Danielle Hunter and Marcus Davenport do not play, the Vikings can get a closer look at some of the outside linebackers (like Luiji Vilain and Benton Whitley) who've had encouraging moments in camp. Andre Carter, the undrafted rookie who was recently taken off the physically-unable-to-perform list, could get some game work if the Vikings feel he's ready, while veterans like D.J. Wonnum and Patrick Jones could benefit from strong preseasons.

Special teams coordinator Matt Daniels said Greg Joseph will get the first opportunity on Thursday, but both Joseph and Georgia rookie Jack Podlesny will see enough work for the Vikings to make it a fair competition. Joseph missed seven field goals and six extra points after a strong preseason last year, though he hit last-minute game-winners against New Orleans, Washington and Indianapolis before connecting from 61 yards to beat the Giants on Dec. 24. The biggest question about Podlesny is his ability to hit long field goals; he made only 54% of his attempts from 40 yards or longer at Georgia, so he'd benefit from opportunities to show he has enough leg strength.