Tiering the Vikings' 53-Man Roster

It’s roster cutdown day, and the Vikings have come up with their initial 53-man roster. The team announced the roster on its official website; we’ve listed the roster below.

How does each player stack up? I’ve ranked every player on the initial 53-man roster (plus some bonus players!) and tiered them into groups. I have a highlight from every player as well [Author’s Note: I made sure the highlight was different from my beginning-of-camp prediction, with the exception of Andrew DePaola; sorry, long snapper highlights are hard!].

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QBs: Kyler Murray, JJ McCarthy, Carson Wentz, Max Brosmer

RBs: Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, Demond Claiborne, Max Bredeson

WRs: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings, Myles Price, Tai Felton, Dillon Bell

TEs: TJ Hockenson, Josh Oliver, Gavin Bartholomew, Ben Yurosek

OT: Christian Darrisaw, Brian O’Neill, Ryan Van Demark, Caleb Tiernan

IOL: Donovan Jackson, Blake Brandel, Will Fries, Joe Huber

IDL: Jalen Redmond, Caleb Banks, Domonique Orange, Levi Drake Rodriguez, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Elijah Williams

EDGE: Dallas Turner, Andrew Van Ginkel, Tyler Batty, Bo Richter

LB: Blake Cashman, Eric Wilson, Ivan Pace Jr., Jake Golday, Chaz Chambliss

CB: Byron Murphy, Isaiah Rodgers, James Pierre, Chuck Demmings

S: Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson, Jay Ward, Jakobe Thomas, Jacob Thomas

ST: Will Reichard, Brett Thorson, Andrew DePaola

I put the roster above into a chart where you can see how I rank the players, with color-coding for each player's tier.

Now, let’s dive into the tiers

Justin Jefferson is clearly the best player on the Vikings, and a truly special NFL player. One of the best players in the league, Jefferson recently talked about how, after a down year, he’s no longer considered by many to be the best WR in the NFL. With that motivation, I expect him to have an incredible 2026.

This pair of plays is what makes Jefferson great. In 2023, he made an insane effort to recover a loose ball and then followed it up with what was, in my opinion, the second best catch of his career against the Lions to convert the third down, all while the team was down by multiple scores in the middle of a losing streak. 

He’s built different.

None. The Vikings have a few really good players behind Jefferson, but no other position player on the roster has actually received a First-Team All-Pro selection. I don’t necessarily see that changing this year.

Christian Darrisaw has never actually made a Pro Bowl, but at his peak he’s been one of the best LTs in the NFL. Darrisaw’s 2025 season was marred by injury as he struggled to recover from a devastating knee injury he suffered in 2024. Reports say he’s fully healthy, and hopefully he’s ready to climb back towards the peak of the LT position in 2026.

Andrew Van Ginkel fits like a glove in defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ defense, and his ability to rush the passer, play against the run, and play in coverage — particularly with his skill anticipating screens — is like no one else in the NFL. He missed some time last year and is on the wrong side of 30, but I expect him to play at a high level this season.

Byron Murphy Jr. can at times feel like the forgotten man on the Vikings' roster. Despite being on a large contract, I don’t think he gets a lot of love from the fanbase. He’s a very capable man corner, but his true value lies in his versatility. He’s able to play inside and out in the Vikings defense, and is moved around in a wide variety of spots with Flores’ funky coverages. He’s also really aggressive playing screens and against the run from the edge of the defense, the perfect mentality for a CB.

Brian O’Neill has a new extension and is returning as an elder statesman, the longest-tenured Viking. O’Neill has been a stalwart player at right tackle for the team since he was drafted in 2018. He is a very smart, technically sound player who is still a good athlete and a fringe top 5 RT. He’s had some minor injuries in recent years and doesn’t have the best anchor in the world, but he’s still a fine player who could make the Pro Bowl in any given year.

Jalen Redmond has ascended from a UFL player to one of the Vikings’ best players. Uncommonly quick, Redmond wreaks havoc in opposing backfields. He’s great at the slashing movements required by Flores’ defense, and stout enough to directly take on blocks. Redmond played nearly 800 snaps last year, and he should again. If variance can give him just a little bit more sack production, I believe he can earn Pro Bowl honors this year.

Dallas Turner, entering his third year, is slated for a larger role with the Vikings after the team moved on from Jonathan Greenard this past offseason. Turner was productive with Greenard out of the lineup last year, and the former first-round pick is a devastatingly explosive athlete. It appears that Turner has also added strength this offseason, and hopefully pass-rush moves to elevate his game to be among the best edge rushers in the NFL. Training camp reports and an impressive preseason drive against the Giants are adding to the hype.

Jordan Addison is entering his 4th season hoping to prove he’s worth a large extension. The Vikings picked up his 5th-year option this offseason, so he’s on the team for at least two more years, but he’s still looking for his first 1,000-yard season. Addison is a great route runner and effective deep threat who complements Jefferson and has impressive play strength for his size.

Kyler Murray handily won the QB competition he was in against J.J. McCarthy this offseason, and will start for the Vikings. At his best, Kyler is an electric playmaker who can make every throw and demolish defenses with his legs. We didn’t get to see much of Kyler in preseason, with just one drive and three pass attempts, but if Kyler can execute, the Vikings’ offensive environment will allow him to thrive. If not, I have a feeling that many people in the organization will be looking for new jobs.

TJ Hockenson had to take a pay cut this offseason and is now slated to become a free agent in 2027. He’s had a down couple of years after a brutal knee injury in 2023, but I think he’s still a really good player. Hockenson is a good in-line blocker with the ability to stretch the seam as a pass catcher, which is a very rare combination for a TE. He’s also a safety blanket who often gets open underneath and makes tough catches. Kyler loved Trey McBride in Arizona, so Hockenson may be in for a resurgent season.

Blake Cashman at his best looks like a dominant linebacker. He has great athleticism and coverage instincts, and is violent coming forward against the run and as a blitzer. He seems to frequently be dealing with injuries, and was a little inconsistent in 2025. If he can stay healthy, he’s an important piece in the middle of the Vikings’ defense.

Josh Metellus, for me, epitomizes the phrase “quality starter.” He’s a quality player, and [Author’s note: I apologize for constantly referring to Vikings defenders as versatile, but it’s true] executes a variety of tasks in Flores’ defense. Metellus isn’t great at any one thing, but he’s good at just about everything, from playing man coverage against RBs and TEs, to playing deep safety and underneath zones, to defending the run from the box or from depth, to blitzing. He’s also a team leader. His wide-ranging role makes him hard to place on an awards ballot, and he may never make a Pro Bowl, but he’s still an excellent player in the Vikings’ defense.

Jauan Jennings was a great offseason addition as the Vikings’ WR3. We didn’t get to see a ton from him in preseason, as he sat most of it like the other starters, but he adds a top-level blocking presence at the WR position. He’s also a reliable pass catcher with a knack for getting open with route running and converting third downs.

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Aaron Jones is on the wrong side of 30 and has dealt with a number of injuries throughout his career. I think he’s still a really good RB who always makes the right choices running the ball, is an effective receiver, and is a very good pass protector. He also still has some explosiveness in his legs. He won’t be the best RB in the NFL, but he will be effective as part of the rotation.

Jordan Mason is the player that Jones will primarily be rotating with. Mason was a rugged back who was great in short yardage last year, but lacks an explosive element to his game. Mason reportedly slimmed down to add explosiveness, but even if he’s not able to break big runs, he’s really consistent as a runner between the tackles. He doesn’t add much as a pass protector or catcher, but he’s another starting-level RB alongside Jones.

Eric Wilson broke out as a 31-year-old in 2025, finally finding a home in the Brian Flores defense. He was a missile pointed towards the line of scrimmage and a dominant blitzer who remained sound in coverage. He was rewarded with a nice contract this offseason, and should be a solid starter again in 2026.

Donovan Jackson started at left guard last year as a rookie, and had a tumultuous season with constant change around him at the left tackle and center spots. He had some struggles and was ultimately a below-average starter at the position. I’m betting that with an NFL offseason, recovery from a broken wrist, and hopefully more consistent play around him in 2026, Jackson will take a step forward and become a solid starter.

Will Reichard was the best kicker in football in 2025. With a new holder in 2026, hopefully everything is the same for Reichard, and he did successfully boot two 50+ yard FGs in the preseason.

Andrew DePaola is the Vikings’ other All-Pro specialist, and has been at the top of the list of NFL long snappers for years now.  I don’t know if it’s rude to rank him and Reichard this low overall when compared to the rest of the roster, but I think right below the quality starters is a fair spot to put them.