The Vikings didn’t have a pick in the first round of this year’s draft, but they found starters with three of their first four picks.
The Vikings have second-round pick Dalvin Cook, third-round pick Pat Elflein and fourth-round pick Ben Gedeon listed as starters on their depth chart heading into Monday’s game against the Saints.
Cook is listed ahead of Latavius Murray at running back, which comes as no surprise after a summer that saw Murray limited by offseason ankle surgery and Cook getting praised by Vikings coaches at every turn. Murray got healthy by the end of the preseason, but it will be equally unsurprising if Cook should find himself getting the lion’s share of the work as his rookie season unfolds.
Minnesota also lists Elflein as the starter at center while his main summer competition Nick Easton has taken over at left guard in the wake of Alex Boone’s release. Gedeon is listed ahead of Emmanuel Lamur as the weakside linebacker and joins Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr with the first team for his first NFL game.