Dillon Bell’s margin for error with the Vikings is getting smaller by the day.
As preseason rolls on, the real roster fight in Minnesota is happening far from the spotlight, on the practice field and in every rep that can swing a decision. For Bell, that battle is turning urgent fast. The Vikings are expected to carry only five or six wide receivers into the 2026 NFL season, and the early picture does not favor him.
Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison sit at the top of the depth chart, and that part of the equation is hardly a mystery. Both are first-round picks and proven NFL pieces. Behind them, Minnesota added former 49ers contributor Jauan Jennings and also has two younger receivers, Tai Felton and Myles Price, who have shown enough to stay in the conversation.
That already gives the Vikings five receivers who are likely to be on the team. If a sixth makes the cut, he is going to have to force the issue. Right now, Bell has not done that.
He came up empty as a receiver in Minnesota’s preseason opener against the Giants, though he did chip in as a runner. That kind of usage helps, but it is not nearly enough on its own if he wants to convince Kevin O’Connell that he deserves a spot on the 53-man roster.
The player gaining steam in that chase is Jeshaun Jones. He has been making plays at practice and is quickly becoming a name to watch for that possible sixth receiver role. Bell, meanwhile, needs to respond quickly if he wants to hold off challengers for the job.
And it is not just Jones hanging around the race. Dontae Fleming, Terrrill Davis, Michael Briscoe, Trayvon Rudolph, and Marcus Sanders Jr. are still in the mix too, with more chances ahead before Minnesota trims the roster.
This is the stretch where fringe players have to show they belong, and Bell is squarely in that category. The Vikings have until Sunday, Aug. 30, to set the 53-man roster, and the clock is already working against him.
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