Minnesota Vikings: Most Intriguing Practice Squad Players

Minnesota is 1-0, but don't get too excited. This is still a team coming off a 3-13 season with many of the same components from last year. It was also 14 seconds away from losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars at home.

With that in mind, I would like to focus attention on the Vikings' practice squad. This group of players typically receives little attention from the outside world, but it is an important part of the team.

If an active player from the 53-man roster struggles or gets injured, then any one of Minnesota's eight practice squad members could see action on Sunday.

These are my top five players to watch on Minnesota's practice squad.

5. Jordan Todman, Running Back

Jordan Todman made a statement with his performance in Minnesota's preseason finale: It won't be easy to cut me.

"Some of his teammates were talking about just that, saying, 'Man, coach, that running back position just got a lot more competitive,'" coach Leslie Frazier told the St. Paul Pioneer Press after that game.

Todman rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries (although 76 yards came on one scamper).

Minnesota ultimately cut Todman and re-signed him to their practice squad.

Todman was a sixth-round pick of the San Diego Chargers in 2011 from the University of Connecticut. He finished the 2011 season on Minnesota's 53-man active roster.

He ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash at the 2011 NFL Combine and is known for his speed. Some draft experts worried about his ability to stay healthy in the league given his size (5'9", 193 pounds).

With Minnesota's running back depth far from certain, with Adrian Peterson and Toby Gerhart coming off offseason surgeries, health at the position is a concern moving forward.

4. Bobby Felder, Cornerback

Bobby Felder, like other players on this list, possesses the physical tools to make it in the NFL as a defensive back. He stands 6'1", 200 pounds and ran a 4.5-second 40-yard dash at his pro day (more of what you'd expect from a safety instead of a cornerback).

He was very successful during his four-year career at Nichols State. During his senior season, Felder recorded 49 tackles, three blocked kicks, five interceptions, one sack and two forced fumbles in 11 games.

Felder could one day contribute on special teams in addition to being a fourth or fifth cornerback.

Mike Detillier, a Louisiana-based scout, told DailyComet.com he thought Felder had a real shot to make Minnesota's 53-man roster.

"Athletically, he has all the gifts needed to play at the next level. Now let's see if he has the mental toughness and the rapid pick-up skills to grasp the pro game quickly," he told DailyComet.com on July 31.

That obviously didn't happen, but those physical tools still remain. And that makes him an attractive practice squad player.

3. Chris Summers, Wide Receiver

The wide receiver position is one of the thinnest on Minnesota's roster. With players like Michael Jenkins and Devin Aromashodu expected to make major contributions (at least through Week 3 with Jerome Simpson's suspension), the position is shaky at best.

Chris Summers was an extremely successful wide receiver during his four years at Liberty. He was a three-time all-conference player, and in his senior year he caught 64 passes for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns. Summers caught 76 passes for 1,081 yards and 15 touchdowns during his junior year.

Before the 2012 NFL Draft, Sports Illustrated declared Summers "very productive on the college level and offers the physical skills and football ability to make it as a fourth receiver if he's willing to take his game to the next level."

But after going undrafted, he signed with the Chicago Bears.

Sports Illustrated pointed out that Summers lacks speed and isn't the toughest player on the field, but it does note that he has reliable hands and adjusts well to poorly thrown passes. He could thrive in the red zone as a possession receiver.

Summers is on the practice squad for a reason, but he has the physical tools to be a contributing receiver at some point if he puts in the necessary work (and gets a little lucky).

2. Ernest Owusu, Defensive End

Of the 14 undrafted free agents the Minnesota Vikings signed, this was the most exciting.

Ernest Owusu lit up the charts during his Pro Day at Cal. Owusu ran a 4.7-second 40-yard dash (which would have been the fifth fastest among defensive ends at the NFL Combine) and benched 225 pounds 39 times (good enough for third at the combine).

Owusu didn't have the most impressive statistical career at Cal (42 games played, 55 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 8.0 sacks), but his Pro Day combined with his build (6'5" and 270 pounds) makes him an impressive member of the practice squad.

He recorded three tackles during the preseason.

The Vikings are well off at defensive end with quality depth, but I really like Owusu as a prospect.

1. Tori Gurley, Wide Receiver

Tori Gurley enters 2012 with a full year of practice-squad experience under his belt. He spent the 2011 season with the Green Bay Packers' practice squad.

He had hopes of getting selected in the 2011 NFL Draft after catching 44 passes for 465 yards and four touchdowns as a redshirt sophomore in 2010. ESPN's Joe Schad called him one of the nation's most sure-handed receivers prior to the draft.

Gurley is a big receiver (6'4", 232 pounds) with average speed (4.56-second 40-yard dash at the 2011 NFL Combine).

His draft profile on NFL.com referred to him as a "wide receiver in a tight end's body that could develop into a quality reserve at the next level." It added that he is a "tough kid that seeks out contact as a blocker and works the middle of the field which makes him an attractive later round prospect."

Gurley caught three passes for 75 yards during the preseason.

You may remember Gurley famously balked at the opportunity to join Minnesota's ACTIVE 53-man roster in 2011 for an opportunity to remain on Green Bay's practice squad.