Hordes of players rely on the preseason to jumpstart their careers.
Exhibition games are the first real chance for rookies to impress against someone other than teammates. It's where undrafted players launch themselves into 53-man roster conversations and/or increase their odds of making a practice squad. Many veterans depend on preseason performance to raise their status.
It's why there's so much intrigue on an NFL field – even when the final score counts for squat.
Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports on Thursday identified 10 "former draft crushes" who he can't wait to watch this weekend; the caveat is his selections aren't rookies, but players on the cusp of larger roles.
Excitingly, 20 percent of Trapasso's article spotlights a couple Vikings: second-year undrafted free agent outside linebacker Gabriel Murphy and defensive lineman and former XFL standout Jalen Redmond.
Murphy suffered an injury in training camp last year and missed most of the season. When he recovered, he factored into two games (35 snaps on defense, 12 on special teams) and had a tackle and quarterback hit. Murphy actually had a scary moment in Wednesday's practice where he laid on the ground for several minutes and was attended to before bouncing to his feet and cutting back-and-forth to test his stability. He managed to flash the rest of the practice, coming up with a few pressures and tackle assists.