Eric Kendricks is the rookie second-round pick, but he’s battling a tackling machine in Audie Cole for the starting spot.
During the regular season, we highlight matchups between a Minnesota Vikings player or two and an opponent in our Key Matchup series. However, during the preseason, with the starters seeing very little action, we focus on internal position battles. With that in mind, our Hall of Fame Game matchup is at middle linebacker, where rookie Eric Kendricks will look to follow in the footsteps of college roommate Anthony Barr and crack the starting lineup with the Vikings defense.