There is no doubt that the Vikings will have a much different look in Year 2 of the Kwesi Adofo-Mensah-Kevin O’Connell regime than they did in Year 1.

The 2022 Vikings rolled to a 13-4 first-place finish, but it was clearly a team with multiple flaws, particularly on the defensive side. This year’s team will have multiple changes on both sides of the ball, and Saturday night’s preseason game at U.S. Bank Stadium against the Tennessee Titans is likely to be extremely influential when it comes to determining the 2023 Vikings depth chart.

The No. 2 wide receiver spot will belong to rookie Jordan Addison or K.J. Osborn. Addison will not dress against the Titans after going into concussion protocol, and while O’Connell said the rookie could return to the practice field Monday, it may be difficult to surpass a maximum-effort and gutsy player like Osborn.

In reality, both men will see the field quite a bit since the Vikings use so many three-WR sets, but in the ego-driven world of NFL wide receivers, the final designation of No. 2 receiver vs. No. 3 can be huge. Addison is the team’s No. 1 draft pick, while Osborn believes he has earned the position. The final decision will likely have season-long ramifications.

If Addison is back at practice early next week, his ability to make acrobatic catches will likely help him gain the edge.

Throughout the offseason, the word around the Vikings was how good they felt about their offensive line. That was very likely an exaggeration. While O’Connell and Kirk Cousins know that tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill have a chance to be dominant, right guard Ed Ingram is anything but a sure thing.

Ingram was overrun at his position far too often last year as a rookie, and demonstrating improvement this summer is vital for a team that wants to keep Cousins upright and open holes for new starting running back Alexander Mattison.

On the defensive side, rookie Ivan Pace has been a remarkable story. Undrafted out of Cincinnati and a bit undersized at 5-10 and 231 pounds, he looks like he will either start at the weakside spot in place of Jordan Hicks or the middle linebacker position instead of Brian Asamoah, who has missed time and appears to have fallen behind.

Pace has the kind of speed and instincts that apparently endeared him to new defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Whether he really is better than either of his two competitors is not the full issue. Flores wants to rebuild the defense in his image. Since the Vikings have struggled badly on defense for 3 seasons, shaking up the depth chart is one of the best ways for Flores to get his message across.

"Gold stars all the way around for Ivan Pace," O'Connell said. "As I’ve challenged him to do, you’re not just trying to compete to make our team, let’s see where you can go and help us possibly win football games from the jump.”

The current Vikings depth chart has rookie Mekhi Blackmon and Akayleb Evans as the first-team cornerbacks with former Cardinal Byron Murphy as the starting nickel back. Murphy will likely start in the season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Evans will likely earn the other starting position.

Blackmon has the talent and drive to have a successful rookie season, and ex-Patriot Joejuan Williams should also be a positive factor with his length and experience. However, Andrew Booth has not made any progress and that’s going to be an issue when roster spots are determined.

Veteran Harrison Smith remains entrenched at strong safety and the question is who will start at the free safety spot. Josh Metellus has looked sharp in camp and could get the best of Cam Bynum. The Vikings still have high hopes for Lewis Cine, but he has been going through growing pains after a broken leg ruined his 2022 rookie season.

Finally, keep an eye on the PK position. Greg Joseph is the incumbent and he was effective in the first preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks. However, Jack Podlesny will get an opportunity to show what he can do Saturday night against the Titans. He has a huge leg and he could still take the job away from Joseph with an impressive showing.