With training camp just beginning, football is officially back. What better time to predict the Vikings’ 53-man roster for the upcoming season?

Who makes the team and who is left on the outside looking in? Let’s dive right in. As a bonus, there’s a highlight for every player!

The Vikings retained the vast majority of their offense from 2025. Backup LT Justin Skule and WR Jalen Nailor departed through free agency, FB CJ Ham retired, and C Ryan Kelly retired after suffering multiple head injuries last year. WR Adam Thielen, who was traded midseason and is now retired, was the only other of the 22 players to earn over 100 offensive snaps who is no longer on the roster.

Because of this continuity, the Vikings have a limited number of new players joining the offense. The most important by far is QB Kyler Murray, followed by WR Jauan Jennings. Beyond that, they signed an RFA, Ryan Van Demark, away from the Bills. They also made 4 draft picks on offense — OL Caleb Tiernan, FB Max Bredeson, RB Demond Claiborne, and OL Gavin Gerhardt. 

Projected Starter: Kyler Murray; Projected Backups: JJ McCarthy, Carson Wentz; Practice Squad: Max Brosmer

The starting QB battle between Kyler Murray and JJ McCarthy will soak up the majority of the ink spilled over the Vikings’ training camp. However, if the team wants to start the player that gives them the cliché “best chance to win” in 2026 — and I believe there is enough job pressure on HC Kevin O’Connell to force that — Kyler is the obvious choice.

Despite a down year in 2025, the tape from the season still shows Kyler as an NFL-level starting QB. He is a highly accurate player who works well in quick game and has a nice deep ball. His athleticism is a separating factor for him as a player. The biggest question about Kyler going into the season will be his fit with the Vikings. 

In 2025, the Cardinals appeared to want to be an under-center play-action team, but abandoned that plan just a few drives into their Week 1 game against the Saints. Kyler ran the offense significantly better in 2024, so it’s unclear if the change was driven by him or some other offensive decision. He absolutely will need the ability to play that way to have success this year.

It may not be fair that the Vikings appear to be abandoning McCarthy after just 10 starts, but the NFL moves fast. I don’t think McCarthy performed as poorly as the EPA results might suggest, but he wasn’t consistent enough from an accuracy perspective or in his command of the offense. Recently on NFL Live, a segment with Adam Thielen described the difficulty of operating a Kevin O’Connell offense, with the subtext being that McCarthy failed to live up to those expectations in 2025. 

Clearing that threshold while improving mechanically will be McCarthy’s biggest challenge, and it will be hard for him to accomplish while competing with Kyler. McCarthy has all of the physical tools to be a quality starter in the NFL, but at this point it seems unlikely he’ll be able to put them together quickly enough to reach that point.

The final QB I have projected to make the team is Carson Wentz. Wentz put up decent enough stats in the time he started last year, but I don’t think he played all that well. The Vikings had to run a very limited offense, and Wentz continued to make the mistakes — particularly holding on to the ball for too long and taking unnecessary hits — that have plagued him throughout his career. The pool of NFL-caliber QBs is shallow, and the Vikings guaranteed most of Wentz’ contract, so he’s a lock to make the team, but hopefully he never sees the field and is a good voice to have in the meeting room.

The last QB on the Vikings roster is Max Brosmer, who was completely out of his depth when asked to play last year. Another year of seasoning may help, but as of right now I have the Vikings trying to marinate him for another season by putting him on the practice squad rather than keeping him on the active roster again.

Projected Starter: Aaron Jones; Projected Backups: Jordan Mason, Zavier Scott, Max Bredeson (FB); Practice Squad: Demond Claiborne

The Vikings tried to move on from Aaron Jones this offseason, but both sides were left without a dance partner in free agency, so they brought him back on a reduced deal. Injuries limited his effectiveness last year, but I do believe Jones is still a quality NFL RB if he can stay healthy. Even if he’s slowed down some, he has more explosive potential and is a better receiver than Jordan Mason. On top of that, he’s the only RB on the Vikings’ roster with quality pass protection tape in the NFL with CJ Ham retired.

Mason should split carries with Jones, and he’s a really consistent, effective zone runner. As mentioned above, he lacks an explosive element to his game, but he is excellent at keeping the offense on track and was effective in short yardage last year. I should also note that I’ve always thought he approaches pass protection well, but ends up with some of the worst results. Maybe that’s a blind spot in my evaluation ability or just simply bad luck for Mason. He certainly has the frame to be good at it.

Beyond that, I project Zavier Scott to win the RB3 role. Scott was a fun story last preseason, and he looked like he belonged on the field when he got in during the regular season. Scott was also a significant presence and performed well on special teams last year. I’m betting on a further year of development and an NFL frame (6’1”, 220lbs) helping Scott become a well-rounded player, particularly in pass protection, and winning him the job.

That leaves Demond Claiborne, the team’s 6th round draft pick, as the odd man out. Claiborne is an undersized runner who brings an explosive element that the team lacks, but his size and blocking limitations mean that he can’t really be used as a third down player, and the fact that the team has both Jones and Mason means that it will be hard to find touches even if he makes the team. 

Right now, keeping him on the roster would be a luxury. If he can prove that he has significant special teams value over the course of camp and the preseason, he can easily change the tide. Outplay Scott, or prove he deserves a roster spot over someone at the bottom of a different position group, and Claiborne is on the team.

The final player to make the team here will be FB Max Bredeson, who the team drafted to replace CJ Ham. Listed at TE at Michigan, Bredeson also flexed into the backfield to block as a fullback, and FB will be his NFL role. I like the run blocking that Bredeson put on tape in college, it will be interesting to see him adjust to the NFL and I’ll be curious how quickly he’s able to pick up NFL protections from the backfield. If he can do so quickly, we should see him pick up Ham’s role on third downs.

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Projected Starters: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings; Projected Backups: Tai Felton, Dillon Bell, Myles Price; Practice Squad: Jeshaun Jones, Dontae Fleming

Justin Jefferson had a down year last year, even when accounting for the poor QB play he experienced. That doesn’t concern me. He’s still the best player on the Vikings, and I believe the best WR in the NFL.

Jordan Addison is entering a pivotal year as he tries to earn a long-term deal. The Vikings picked up his 5th-year option, but off-the-field issues may have prevented an early extension. Addison is a well-rounded vertical threat with some size limitations. Those cropped up in some critical moments last year, but in all Jefferson and Addison are a dynamic WR duo.

Earning the highest salary of any free agent that the Vikings signed this year, Jauan Jennings offers a different skill set than the receiver whose slot he took, the departing Jalen Nailor. It’s one the Vikings lacked. Jennings is a physical, ball-winning presence who is a strong underneath route runner. He’s also an excellent blocker. He doesn’t offer the deep ability that Nailor did, but the Vikings have an extremely strong top three-receiver set.

The team’s 3rd round pick in 2025, Tai Felton, barely played last year. He had significant limitations as a receiver coming out of Maryland, but he was lights out as a punt gunner during his rookie year. That special teams ability alone is worthy of a roster spot, but it remains to be seen if he will contribute on offense.

I have Dillon Bell making the roster as an undrafted free agent. The rookie got a large ($272k) guarantee in his contract, more than 7th round pick Gavin Gerhardt. Beat reporters have repeatedly praised Bell throughout the preseason process, and those factors make him likely to make the roster to me. Bell is a little underdeveloped from a route-running perspective, but his strong after catch ability makes him an intriguing prospect.

Myles Price also makes the team, as the team’s primary kick and punt returner. He had some hiccups last year and was injured to end the season, but his wiggle and explosive ability in the return game have me projecting him back in the role for 2026. I don’t really expect him to make an impact as a receiver, but he did show some route-running ability last preseason, while struggling with his command of the offense, particularly how to line up. If someone else impresses as a returner, his spot could be in danger.

The Vikings have a ton of other young receivers on their roster, so it will be hard to have them separate themselves. I went with two of the players I was familiar with, Jeshaun Jones and Dontae Fleming, both of whom have flashed in previous preseasons. Really, it’s a wide open competition between them and the rest of the roster.

Projected Starters: TJ Hockenson; Projected Backups: Josh Oliver, Gavin Bartholomew; Practice Squad: Ben Yurosek

Since a significant knee injury at the end of 2023, TJ Hockenson has not produced up to the standard he set when he joined the Vikings and later signed a large extension. I still think, however, that he’s a really good player. Hockenson had a great season as a blocker last year, and still threatens defenses vertically in a way that few quality blockers at the position can. His ability to contribute underneath last year was hampered by needing to stay in to help protection and a QB room that collectively struggled to check down. I’m not saying he’s as good as he was before the injury, but he’s still a quality starter.

Behind him, Josh Oliver will see significant playing time as a great blocker at the TE position. Oliver’s limited receiving profile keeps him from being an all-around player capable of supplanting Hockenson, but he’s excellent at his role and deserves the extension he got this offseason.

The third TE spot is a more open battle, but I project Gavin Bartholomew to beat out Ben Yurosek, who held the position for most of last season. Bartholomew, a 6th-round draft pick in 2025, missed the entire season due to injury. It’s hard to know how he’s progressed, but I thought Bartholomew had an outside shot to develop into a well-rounded TE, while Yurosek proved to be more of a blocker and move player last season. 

Yurosek wasn’t terrible, but he also failed to stand out over the course of the season. Bartholomew has a similar frame, but I thought the college tape showed a player with the ability to stretch the defense vertically and the mentality to win as a blocker. He absolutely needs to have gained both play strength and technique as a blocker while simultaneously recovering from injury, but if he has, he should make the roster in my opinion. I’d hope to keep Yurosek on the practice squad.

Projected Starters: Christian Darrisaw, Donovan Jackson, Blake Brandel, Will Fries, Brian O’Neill; Projected Backups: Ryan Van Demark, Caleb Tiernan, Joe Huber, Michael Jurgens; Practice Squad: Walter Rouse, Tristan Leigh, Gavin Gerhardt, Henry Byrd

Christian Darrisaw is hopefully fully healthy another year removed from a devastating knee injury. If he is, he should return to being one of the best LTs in the NFL and locking down the left side of the Vikings’ OL.

Donovan Jackson had an inconsistent rookie season. Saying “he was good for a rookie” feels like damning him with faint praise, but I think if you look at some of the factors that stacked against him — a wrist injury that he played through, as well as a constantly rotating cast around him at LT and C — you can make a pretty strong case for him to improve in 2026. Jackson has shown the play strength — both with the ability to anchor and get movement in the run game — and athletic ability to be a quality starter in the NFL if Darrisaw and Brandel contribute their own consistency.

Rather than look elsewhere, the Vikings decided to replace the departing Ryan Kelly in house with Blake Brandel, who played center for the first time in his life last season. Personally, my ideal role for Brandel would have been as a super backup — the 6th offensive lineman who can be the first person to come in at any position in case of an injury — given his experience at every spot. However, with a full offseason to get comfortable snapping, hopefully Brandel can perform well as a starter in 2026.

Will Fries had a disappointing season in 2025 for me, given both his contract and his last name. At his best, Fries has a great anchor and play strength to drive defenders in the run game. He was great against stunts in Indianapolis as well, but played disoriented last season and lost too quickly and too often. Hopefully he can return to his Indianapolis form under new OL coach Keith Carter.

After his most recent extension, Brian O’Neill has secured his spot for some time as the longest-tenured Viking. A high-quality starter, O’Neill has the athleticism and smarts that mean his game will age well, and I think the money on the extension was right. 

After last year’s disaster with Justin Skule, the Vikings spent a little more money and pried Ryan Van Demark away from the Bills as an RFA. Watching the tape from when he filled in last year, he’s got good athletic ability and was a strong run blocker for the Bills, but struggled with consistency in pass protection. He is a tall player and can struggle with leverage, and therefore his anchor in pass protection. Still, if he has to play, he should be better than Skule, who was a disaster.

The Vikings also drafted Caleb Tiernan in the third round. He may be a tackle or guard depending on how they view him, because he has an odd frame with sub-33” arms despite being nearly 7’8”. The Vikings probably hope he doesn’t have to play this year as he develops.

Michael Jurgens played a significant amount at C last year due to injuries. He was actually the team’s preferred backup over Brandel at the position, but quickly lost that job. He got it back at the end of the season as Brandel had to fill in a different spot, and finished strong. Still, he’s clearly behind Brandel heading into camp, and may be seeing roster pressure from rookie seventh-round pick Gavin Gerhardt. Position flexibility would help, and Jurgens also played guard in college, but the Vikings seem reluctant to use him anywhere else. I have Jurgens on the team right now because I do not think that Gerhardt is better than him, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he fails to make the team.

The final OL I have on the Vikings roster is Joe Huber, who made the team last year as a UDFA. Huber earned his spot in preseason, and even got to start against the Browns with both Ryan Kelly and Donovan Jackson out. I’m keeping him on the roster because none of the other backups are true guards.

I had some difficult cuts at this position. Like Bell, whom I have making the roster above, the Vikings gave Tristan Leigh a lot of money as a UDFA, but the roster pressure with higher investments in Van Demark and Tiernan has me keeping the college tackle off the roster. Walter Rouse has been on the roster for the last two years, but has never played even when the situation might have called for it, so I expect him to be cut, but he may stay on the practice squad. I mentioned Gerhardt when talking about Jurgens above, and Henry Byrd has surprisingly made the practice squad every year he’s been with the team, so I’m keeping that tradition alive.

The Vikings made significantly more changes on the defensive side of the ball than they did on offense. They cut IDLs Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen, traded EDGE Jonathan Greenard, and S Harrison Smith is still not on the roster. They made major draft investments with IDL Caleb Banks, EDGE/LB Jake Golday, IDL Domonique Orange, and S Jakobe Thomas. They also signed CB James Pierre in FA to bolster that room.