The early training camp storylines belong to quarterbacks Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy, as well as some (potential) stars returning from injury, such as Christian Darrisaw or Caleb Banks.
With each passing day, we learn more and more about the 2026 Minnesota Vikings. Practice reports always identify a few emerging players who stand out in drills. Often, those are the usual suspects like Jordan Addison or Andrew Van Ginkel, but the occasional under-the-radar guy gets a mention, too.
This year, someone to watch is cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn. Undrafted in 2025, the athletic defensive back turned some heads last summer and he has continued to shine in the first two days of this year’s camp.
Vaughn’s name has repeatedly surfaced in practice reports through the first two days of camp, and not just with the second or third units. The second-year cornerback has earned opportunities alongside Minnesota’s starters, an encouraging sign for a player trying to carve out a role and earn a spot on the 53-man roster after spending his rookie campaign on the practice squad.
On Wednesday, Will Ragatz of Bring Me the Sports noted, “Pierre had a busy day at corner, but his interception of Murray was his final rep of the day. He stayed down for a sec and walked off the field with a trainer. It seems very possible that it was just a cramp. Zemaiah Vaughn got at least one rep with the first-team defense, which felt notable. Murphy also had a nice day at CB.”
At this point, the cornerback hierarchy appears to include the expected veterans Byron Murphy, Isaiah Rodgers, and James Pierre as the top trio, followed by some younger guys, with Vaughn having made the most noise so far.
A day later, Vaughn’s workload with the top unit continued. Ragatz wrote after the second practice day, “I didn’t see Isaiah Rodgers participating in any team periods in this practice. James Pierre was the second cornerback with Byron Murphy Jr., and Zemaiah Vaughn again mixed in with the starters.”
It wasn’t just the reps that stood out. Vaughn also made a play on the football. Vikings.com’s Rob Kleifield described one of the highlights from Thursday’s session: “On his fourth play, he targeted Felton in the intermediate level, far to his right, and young cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn came through with an aggressive breakup.”
It’s far too early to draw sweeping conclusions from a couple of July practices, but young defensive backs generally don’t receive repeated first-team opportunities by accident. Whether those reps are a result of veteran absences, strong play, or a combination of both, Vaughn has taken advantage of the chances he’s been given.
Last spring, Vaughn went undrafted despite being viewed as one of the more intriguing prospects available after the draft. The Vikings had to open their checkbook to lure him to the Twin Cities, paying him $249,000 in guaranteed money, the third-highest among their undrafted free agents.
Former Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy tweeted ahead of the draft: “CB Zemaiah Vaughn’s (6021v, 175v, 32 7/8 arm) name out there much in draft rankings right now but he possesses one of best combos of length & speed in this year’s draft. Springy athlete should blow up Combine and his makeup speed jumps off the tape.”
His athletic attributes are, indeed, impressive. He’s now listed at 6’3″ and 180 lbs, and he posted a 40-yard dash of 4.45 seconds in his pre-draft process.
In his college career at Utah, Vaughn played in 56 games, secured three interceptions, had three sacks, 14 tackles for loss, and 144 tackles.
Barring injury, Murphy, Rodgers, and Pierre appear to have the top three spots secured entering the season. The battle behind them, however, remains wide open. Dwight McGlothern, an undrafted rookie from 2024, showed promise in his first camp, but through two seasons, he has barely seen the field, even when cornerback depth was a problem at times.
And then there’s Charles “Chuck” Demmings, a fifth-round draft pick, who’s also a gifted athlete with the size to indicate sky-high potential. Given the draft pick the club invested to get its hands on the Stephen F. Austin prospect, he’s likely to make the 53-man roster as well.
A few other competitors, mainly undrafted rookies from this year, could also spoil the party.
Camp stars don’t always become regular-season contributors, but every year a few under-the-radar players force their way into the conversation. Through two days of practice, Vaughn has done exactly that. If he keeps stacking quality performances, the Vikings may have found another undrafted gem in a cornerback room that still has plenty to sort out.
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